Magical Bonds
by lil-lilac86
Summary: They say that a sorcerer’s soul mate is determined by their level of magical capabilities. But what happens when three young women have found a way to suppress their charmed potential? Simple, the men go hunting…open season anyone? ExT SxS MxOC
1. Chapter 1: The Hunted

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

**Chapter 1: The Hunted**

Sakura Kinomoto, Tomoyo Daidouji, Meiling Li – 20yrs.

Syaoran Li, Eriol Hiiragizawa, Ryo Miteki – 21yrs.

SUMMARY: They say that a sorcerer's soul mate is determined by their level of magical capabilities. But what happens when three young women have found a way to suppress their charmed potential? Simple, the men go hunting…open season anyone? ExT SxS RxM

Within the depths of a dark, foreboding forest, three of the strongest magical women known to Japan continue their escape from a destined fate. From the moment a sorcerer/sorceress is born, their magic is instantly entwined with someone who shares an equal amount of magical prowess. According to Magician Law, two soul mates are never to meet until they come of age. During this time, the male will search out the female to complete the _magical bond_. Alone, the two soul mates are only at half strength. Once the _magical bond_ has been consummated, the soul mates will gain full power and become one in mind and spirit.

"Tomoyo, how much longer are we gonna keep on running?" complained the emerald-eyed sorceress.

"You know that if we stop they'll catch up to us, Sakura," replied the amethyst-eyed Tomoyo.

"Can we at least take a rest? We've been running for going on two years now…ever since we turned eighteen…"asked Sakura.

"What's the matter Kinomoto? Can't ya take it?" teased the ruby-eyed Meiling.

Not one to back down from a challenge, Sakura merely glared and continued moving through the murky forest.

"Remind me again why we're spending all this time running when we should just turn and fight," Meiling questioned.

"We've been through this, Meiling…" an annoyed Tomoyo began, feeling the effects of a migraine coming on.

"Humor me," Meiling smirked.

"Because if we fight them, they will figure out who we are. And if they know, then we'll be easier targets for them to hunt down." Tomoyo explained with the remnants of a sigh on her breath.

"Who cares if they know who we are?! What matters is that I know we can take'em!" Meiling shouted in frustration, while planting herself down on a deteriorating tree stump.

At this point, Sakura, who was a ways up ahead on the broken path, felt she should turn around and comfort Meiling. Upon reaching her dear friend, Sakura placed a reassuring arm around Mei's shoulders and joined her on the stump where she explained the consequences of those actions.

"Our freedom would be taken away if they ever knew who we were, Mei. The most we can do is mask our magic so they can't use it to track us."

"She's right, Meiling," Tomoyo reached for Meiling and embraced her in a hug while whispering in her ear, "I know how strong you are, and I know how much this has strained you, but we can't take the chance to confront them."

"I understand that, but look at what it's done to us…" Meiling motioned for her two friends to not only look at themselves, but also their surroundings. "We look like a couple of fugitives running away from Death itself."

Sakura's once radiant dress was torn and tattered with dirt and mud splashed on her pale skin. Meiling was scratched up and with scars, mostly because she found herself getting into fights half the time. But Tomoyo was the worst for wear. Her amethyst eyes had lost their luster, she had dark circles under those saddening eyes, and the confidence and hope that once filled her was slowly disappearing.

"Maybe it would be best to settle somewhere they would never suspect, 'Moyo…" Sakura suggested, "at least until we gather our bearings and rest."

Tomoyo contemplated her request, and found herself crumbling from exhaustion.

"Alright, 'Kura and Mei. We'll continue up until we come across a town, then we'll find a place to stay. After that, we'll decide what to do next." Tomoyo agreed.

"Are we still restricted from using our magic?" Meiling asked.

Tomoyo thought over her question and came to a conclusion.

"We cannot afford to use our magic. The type of magic we each possess would be the key to their finding us. We know just as well as they do that our main source of magic is the elemental kind." Tomoyo continued, "The element they have is meant to compliment our own. Mine is water…which would make my…s-soul m-m-mate's…wind."

"That's right," Sakura continued, "the two elements are meant to work together, so if we use our magic…it would be like a beacon for them to follow. My element is earth…his would be wood" Sakura whispered.

"Makes sense, I guess. I have the power of fire, so that no good snake would have the power of metal…" Meiling sighed, holding her cheek in her palm thinking. "Wait! I have an idea!" Mei burst out and abruptly stood, knocking Tomoyo and Sakura onto the rocky path.

Startled, Tomoyo and Sakura asked what she was talking about.

"We don't need to use our elemental magic when we can use the standard magic known to most magicians!" she exclaimed, "We can do small spells…and some major damage control." Meiling muttered.

Tomoyo and Sakura looked a little confused by that last bit, until Meiling used her magic to repair their clothing and filthy appearance.

"Hoe, we can do this 'Moyo!" Sakura shrieked.

And for the first time in weeks, Tomoyo smiled.

I know this first chapter was pretty short, but then again this is my first fanfic…please review & no flames. I could use all the help you have to offer to make this a really great story!

Chapter 2: The Hunters

Let's see what's going on with the boys….


	2. Chapter 2: The Hunters

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

**Chapter 2: The Hunters**

As a blanket of darkness covered the clearing, three lone sorcerers agreed to set camp for the night. Each were given specific duties to prepare the camp.

One sorcerer had brown, shaggy hair with matching brown eyes. His body was clothed in a dark green cloak that hid every contour of muscle earned from his childhood training in martial arts. His name is Syaoran Li, the sorcerer that controls the element of wood. Ironically enough, his duty for the camp was to gather wood – needless to say, it didn't take long.

The next sorcerer had short, wavy black hair with dark grey eyes – almost mistaken for black. A dark grey cloak covered his lithe form. His name is Ryo Miteki, a close childhood friend of Syaoran's, not to mention sparring partner. He has the power to control metal, and his duty was to start the campfire.

"Aww guys, you know this isn't fair!" Ryo complained. "I'm not the one with the power over fire; my soul mate is meant to cover that little detail!"

"Well, Ryo, it looks as though we've hit a snag in that department. If your soul mate were here, then you wouldn't have a problem…but sadly, we are _still_ hunting her down, along with mine and Syaoran's." Answered the sorcerer of wind.

This sorcerer had midnight blue hair that curls into his face with eyes of the same color, yet hidden behind his half moon-shaped glasses. A dark blue cloak clothed his tantalizing body. His name is Eriol Hiiragizawa, the sorcerer of the wind and cousin to Syaoran Li. Prior to his comment to Ryo, Eriol was carrying out his duty as lookout by using the wind to levitate into the air to gaze beyond the tree line.

"Come on, Hiiragizawa! Quit being such a hard ass on us." Syaoran shouted as he pinned Eriol with a glare. "We've done everything in our power to track those girls down, but until they use their elements…we won't have a solid lead."

"I'm aware of that, my dear little cousin…"

"_Stop_ calling me that!" Syaoran interrupted with a cringe. Even though Eriol was older than Syaoran by a couple of days, he always gets satisfaction by reminding Syaoran of that small fact.

"…but we have a general idea as to which direction they are headed." Eriol finished as though Syaoran had never said a word. Crossing his arms over his broad chest, Eriol closed his eyes in slight annoyance. They've had this conversation several times over the years, yet Syaoran always needs a reason to argue. Eriol suspects it's because Syaoran wants to hide his fear that they might never find their respective soul mates.

"He's right, Syaoran." Ryo piped in before an argument between the two could actually escalate. "We do know that they are traveling somewhere in this forest."

After listening to his companions, Eriol took to the sky again in silent meditation.

'_These girls are quite intelligent._' Eriol thought. '_They know not to use their elements, they are keeping their energy hidden from us, and yet I know there must be a way for us to find them…they've been running from us for two years, and I can't fathom why they would break the Magician Law. It's against the law for them to outrun or delay the bonding. It makes no sense…what are they afraid of?_'

While Eriol pondered over the girls, Syaoran and Ryo were brainstorming ideas to end this ridiculous hunt. They spoke quietly around the campfire as they lounged in the lush grass staring up into the heavens.

"Why don't we have Eriol use his power to hover above the forest to search for any movement?" Ryo questioned.

"Do you have any idea how big this forest is? It could take days, maybe even weeks to scour the area." Syaoran replied.

"Ok, well we know my power will do no good in this environment…so I'm of no use…but what about you Syaoran?!"

"What about me?" Syaoran asked very confused.

"Duh Syaoran…you have the power of wood, remember? Not to mention this is your environment! If you concentrated hard enough, I'm almost certain you will feel slight vibrations of their movement!" Ryo answered overly excited.

"You mean kinda like how a spider knows if he's caught an insect in his web? That's brilliant, Ryo!!" Syaoran exclaimed. "We'll run it pass Hiiragizawa in the morning, and give it a try then."

Silence overcame them, and they could hear the crickets chirping and the owls hooting. It was all very soothing to their senses and helped them relax.

"Hey Ryo? Why do you think the girls are running from us anyway? Do you think they fear us?" Syaoran questioned, sincerely curious as to what the answer might be.

"Only they know the answer to that, Syaoran. All I could give you is my speculation about it, and let me just say that probably wouldn't even be close." Ryo chuckled.

"Well, try me. What do you think?" Syaoran pried.

"It's simple really. If they are not interested in us in the least, the only explanation is that they are lesbians." Ryo explained.

Everything was silent for a while. Until Syaoran whipped Ryo upside the head with a tree root that he controlled.

"Shit, Syaoran! That really hurt…" Ryo whined, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, don't say stupid things and I won't have to hit you all the time." Syaoran smirked.

Meanwhile, Eriol observed his comrades from above. He listened to everything they had to say. '_Damn, if Syaoran hadn't struck Ryo for that comment then I would have._' Eriol chuckled to himself. '_But more importantly, I can't believe Ryo came up with a brilliant plan. It's time to put his idea into action._' Eriol lowered himself down to the ground near where his friends were spread out.

"Let's do it, Syaoran." Eriol spoke out, startling the two out of their dozing.

"Aww Hell…" Syaoran complained.

"What's your problem?" Ryo asked, raising one brow.

"First Ryo thinks our soul mates might be lesbians, and now Eriol wants to get it on with me…my life has taken a sour turn." Syaoran moaned, looking ill.

Eriol's pale skin took on a deep shade of red from embarrassment. When he gathered his bearings, Eriol sent two gusts of wind at Syaoran equipped with enough force to knock the air out of him. Afterwards, Eriol cleared his throat and explained.

"I was referring to Ryo's plan of using your element to locate the girls…man, I feel sorry for which ever one has to have you for a soul mate…" Eriol sighed in sympathy.

Before Syaoran could retaliate, Ryo interrupted.

"You mean right now? Why not wait until morning?"

"Simply because these women are sneaky, and we shouldn't waste the time. We might even be able to lure the girls into using their own elements. Now prepare yourself Syaoran." Eriol commanded.

Grudgingly, Syaoran agreed with Eriol on this matter…not that he would _ever_ admit something like that. Syaoran closed his eyes and focused on the forest in which his element connected. He manipulated the wood element to where he would be able to feel if the women touched some part of the forest. Then he waited patiently, and that's when it happened.

"I feel one of the girls, no…all three of the girls just sat down on a tree stump 5 miles northeast from here." Syaoran relayed to his fellow sorcerers. He reopened his eyes with a smirk on his face. "They're resting."

"Alright! This is our chance boys!" Ryo hyped up.

"Indeed. Shall we set a trap for our dear ladies?" Eriol questioned with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

All three men shared a smile before getting to work on the details of their trap. What they didn't know is that one particular lady could sense what Syaoran had just done.

Sorry guys, I had a hard time deciding when to end this chapter. Hmmm…which one knows what Syaoran did??? I'm sure ya'll can figure that out, lol

I want to thank my very first reviewers EVA!

_Special Thanks to_:

Anime Flower

tinkerbell795

light of the wood

midnightblue123

Minimin-chan

SanzoGirl

I dedicate the next chapter to you! Plz continue to review!!!

Chapter 3: Trapped?

Will the girls get caught so easily…?


	3. Chapter 3: Trapped?

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

**Chapter 3: Trapped?**

Late into the night, the girls agreed to rest in the dark forest to regain their lost energy. Tomoyo went off to a lake nearby to soothe her frazzled nerves. Meiling reclaimed her old tree stump to catch a few z's, while Sakura made herself comfortable on the cold earth. The chill of the ground did not affect Sakura; rather, it made her feel like she was at home. It was a small comfort to her, and she cherished these moments.

Just as Sakura was about to close her eyes, she felt a very distinguishable pulse wrap around her aura. She shot to her feet in a panicked frenzy and looked around the small clearing searching for the one she knew caused it. When the pulse began to retreat, Sakura closed her eyes and followed _his_ aura back to the clearing which inhabited the sorcerers. When she was sure she knew where they were, Sakura opened her eyes and immediately went to wake Meiling.

"Mei! Mei, wake up!" Sakura was so frightened that her hands shook with the effort to awaken her friend.

Rudely awakened from a brief slumber, Meiling grouchily shouted at Sakura, "WHAT 'KURA?!" When she didn't receive an answer, Meiling was about to give her friend a piece of her mind until she saw the terror upon Sakura's face. Tears threatened to fall from her emerald eyes, and she seemed to be on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Oh my God…Sakura, what's wrong?" Meiling got to her feet immediately and embraced her friend in hopes of calming her down.

"They know where we are, Mei." Sakura whispered so softly that Meiling barely heard her, despite how close she was to her from their embrace.

"…but…how?" Meiling shockingly asked, for once at a loss for words.

"The sorcerer of Wood used his power to sense our presence in this forest…and I'm tied to him, so I felt him…almost like he was right beside me." Sakura replied, now with a few hiccups to accompany her response.

"Come on, we need to find Tomoyo and get the hell outta here!" Meiling ordered.

Together, Sakura and Meiling ran through the thicket of trees and bushes to arrive at a small lake. On a large boulder, they saw a pile of what could only be Tomoyo's clothes. They let their eyes roam over the waters surface and realized Tomoyo must be submerged.

"I'll contact her, ok 'Kura? You just try and calm down." Meiling tried to soothe her friend. Sakura merely gave a nod of agreement before Meiling closed her eyes and stretched her mind to scan for Tomoyo's aura.

Meanwhile, under the water, Tomoyo felt at peace. She enjoyed the water's flow as its current weaved through the long strands of her long, dark hair. Breathing under water was never an issue with Tomoyo; she was in her element after all. As she swam deeper and deeper into the lake's depths, she realized that this was the most freedom she will ever have in her lifetime.

Just as she reached the lake bottom, she felt a twinge rub against her aura. She was spooked at first, but Tomoyo recognized it as Meiling's aura from the feel of warmth from fire. Immediately, Tomoyo shot up to the surface with every ounce of strength in her body. Once she broke the surface, she wiped her hair out of her face and her eyes instantly connected with Meiling holding a panicky Sakura.

Tomoyo swam hard to the edge in which her dear friends resided. Once she reached them, Tomoyo quickly asked why Sakura was in such a vulnerable state.

"They're on their way, 'Moyo! Sakura says the sorcerer of Wood used his element to track us in this forest!" Meiling hurriedly explained.

Before Tomoyo could respond, Sakura spoke up, "I followed his aura back to a clearing in which they're camped. They are approximately 5 miles away and closing in fast." Sakura appeared to have gathered her bearings and was back to thinking rationally.

"Alright, this is what we'll do," Tomoyo began telling her plan as she reached for her clothes to begin dressing, "We are going to try to reach that small town that is just down this hill. We know that Wood can manipulate this forest to try and trap us here, so we'll be forced to use our powers to stave them off."

"That'll just lead them to us that much faster!" Meiling countered.

"We need to be prepared, Mei. They're going to trap us in this forest until they are able to catch up to us, so we're going to make it difficult for them." Sakura wisely replied.

"Exactly, so we will set up our own trap and barriers for when they get here." Tomoyo explained, "Wood will be the one to trap us, so Sakura will use her element to tie him up."

"And if push comes to shove, Meiling can go pyro on their asses!" Sakura and Meiling's eyes widened in shock because they've never heard Tomoyo use such language. That was mainly Mei's forte…Once the shock wore off, Meiling was the first to respond.

"Hell yeah! Those boys won't know what hit'em once we're through with them!" Meiling pumped her fists into the air with great enthusiasm.

"That's Mei for ya," Sakura shrugged and rolled her eyes, "always geared up for a fight."

Tomoyo chuckled, realizing how true Sakura's statement was. Meiling was totally oblivious to the sarcastic remark; excitement was much too evident in her aura.

Before they left the lakeside, Tomoyo's eyes transformed into a shimmering bright blue as she used her element to create a barrier of water. The barrier shot high into the sky and stretched as far as the eye could see. After she saw no flaws in her creation, she and her friends sprinted down the hill towards the unknown town.

They didn't get too far before trees were manipulated to stand side by side in a wooden barricade. A shriek from Sakura caused Tomoyo and Meiling to turn suddenly to see that branches and roots were wrapped around Sakura's arms and legs to hold her still. As they ran to help her, the same situation was thrown upon them. All three were caught in Wood's trap. This only served to piss them off more.

Sakura's eyes became a blinding emerald green as the earth shot up in sharp spikes to cut through the branches and roots that kept her hostage. Sakura was free, and she mischievously smiled at her friends.

Meiling's eyes changed into a resiliently shining, fiery red as she singed the branches and roots from her body. Tomoyo followed suit and used her element to make herself slippery enough to slide out of Wood's trap. All three girls were free, and they marched to the barricade of trees together. Sakura beckoned the earth to rise with enough force to uplift the trees from their roots so they fell to the ground in a heap of mulch.

They crossed over the mess, and Tomoyo's eyes began to glow once more. Sakura and Meiling had no clue as to what Tomoyo was up to. A downpour of rain suddenly sprang from the sky with the intent to flood the forest floor, yet the three girls remained absolutely dry. Tomoyo used the rain as a quick escape from the sorcerers, and also as a method to slow them down. Then, she concentrated a large amount of water on the hill leading into the town. Sakura jumped up and down excitedly after realizing what Tomoyo was doing.

"Unbelievable! Tomoyo, you've made a water slide!" Sakura gushed, "This will get us to that town in no time, and we'll be going too fast for them to try and trap us again!"

"What are we waiting for?! Let's move it!" Meiling encouraged.

Tomoyo allowed her two friends to go down the hill first, so she could continue her concentration while monitoring her friends.

"WHOO HOO!" Meiling shouted as though she were at a water park.

"Hoe, no better way to travel I say!" Sakura exclaimed over the water's noise.

When they reached the bottom of the hill, they were all dry and had broad smiles on their faces. The town was only a short walk away, and yet Meiling seemed a bit troubled.

"What's the matter Mei?" Sakura noticed the worried Meiling.

"Well, we used a great deal of elemental power. I'm just worried that it will lead them to this town." Replied Meiling truthfully.

"No need to worry, girls. The sorcerers will come to this town, but this town is full of magic, I can sense it. When they show up, they won't know where we are because their senses will be too busy sifting through all of this energy. We just need to keep a low profile." Tomoyo answered.

"Well, let's go get settled, shall we?" Sakura blinked her eyes innocently.

"WE SHALL!" Shouted the three girls together, as they skipped into the shadows of the slumbering town.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Keep reviewing b/c you give me the motivation to get the next chapter up sooner!

_Special Thanks To:_

SanzoGirl

rosedreamer101

midnightblue123

tinkerbell795

The next chapter will be dedicated to you!

Chapter 4: Tomeoda

Somehow, the boys make it through the forest and reach the unknown town…


	4. Chapter 4: Tomoeda

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

**Chapter 4: Tomeoda**

Racing through the gloom of the seemingly deserted forest, the sorcerers continued in hot pursuit. Ragged breathing could be heard in the abnormally silent grove. Syaoran ran unblinkingly as he kept his concentration on his element. He was able to form a barricade of trees while binding the girls with branches and roots of the forest. Suddenly, Eriol and Ryo both came to an abrupt halt when they felt the presence of their soul mate's auras.

Ryo looked as though he were in pure bliss. His eyes were half-closed and hooded, while his mouth hung open with bits of drool trailing from the corner of his mouth to the tip of his chin. Ryo experienced a pull in his aura; the heat of flames engulfed his hard metal interior in a gentle caress that made him visibly shiver in content.

Eriol was in the same dreamy state, with the exception of the drool. The way _her_ aura hugged his sent a chill up his spine causing goose bumps to prickle on his pale skin. It felt like gentle waves were lapping at his gusty, lucid heart. At that moment, Eriol would have given anything to just keep that feeling for eternity.

Syaoran was several yards ahead before he lost connection to the girls. The only explanation was they used their elemental powers to escape his wooden trap. He realized two things in that instant; (1) Hiiragizawa would kill him for not trapping the girls until they arrived, and (2) He could not be held responsible for bursting out laughing at his companions ridiculous expressions.

The sound of laughter brought Ryo and Eriol out of their stupor to see Syaoran rolling in the dirt wheezing and muttering indistinguishable words.

"What the hell is so funny dear little cousin?!" Eriol not only demanded but also teased.

Syaoran came to an immediate stop in his antics to send a glare Eriol's way.

"Damn it! I said to _stop_ calling me that!" Syaoran jumped to his feet with the intent to kill. It was at this time Ryo decided to interfere.

"Why aren't you still concentrating, Syaoran?" Ryo changed the topic.

Eriol hadn't noticed until Ryo's interruption that Syaoran was indeed no longer connected with the girls' trappings.

"Syaoran, please don't tell me you let our women escape again." Eriol whispered dangerously. Syaoran gulped, he just knew shit would hit the fan.

"Hell no, I didn't _let_ them escape! They're just slippery little minxes is all." Syaoran defended himself while waving a fist in Eriol's face. "Besides, Plan B worked out just fine."

"What are you talking about? We never agreed on a Plan B…" Ryo muttered, trying to remember their conversation prior to the chase.

"Please Ryo, try to keep up." Eriol sighed as Syaoran explained.

"If we couldn't trap the girls, then the next plausible solution was to make them use their elemental powers, which they did might I add." Syaoran smirked, crossing his arms in satisfaction.

"Oh, that's why I felt so…" Ryo trailed off into a goofy smile.

"Yeah, that's why you looked like an idiot, you and Hiiragizawa." Syaoran chuckled.

"You're just jealous that you didn't get to feel Earth's presence because you weren't allowed to break the connection." Eriol bated, knowing he was adding salt to an open wound.

"Shut the hell up, Hiiragizawa!" Syaoran retaliated.

"Come on guys, let's just get through this forest and find the girls, huh?" Ryo reasoned.

"Fine..." Syaoran reluctantly agreed. Eriol merely nodded, and they continued their pursuit through the forest.

It felt like miles before they reached a barrier of water blocking their path. Ryo let loose a low whistle as the three gazed at the sheer force of this barrier.

"Something tells me this is the work of your soul mate, Hiiragizawa." Syaoran stated the obvious.

"Hmm, what was your first clue dear little cousin?" Eriol could hear a very audible growl come from beside him, and he just chuckled to himself. '_He's far too easy to tease._' Eriol thought.

Before Eriol could blink, Ryo accessed his power. A dark grey outline surrounded his body as he called upon his element, metal. Ryo manipulated the metal to form a saber. He used his creation to cut into the barrier, but as soon as he made contact with Water's barrier, his saber became stuck inside.

"Do not touch this barrier, Ryo." Eriol hissed. "Leave this to me; I'll make a pathway cutting straight through this wet trap."

Eriol's body became silhouetted in a midnight blue light as he summoned gusts of wind to aid them. He manipulated the wind to blast through Water's barrier and created an opening for them to cross safely. Eriol motioned for Syaoran and Ryo to enter before him, so he could concentrate on the entrance. When they arrived safely on the other side of Water's barrier, Syaoran decided to speak.

"Wow, it seems like your soul mate _really_ hates you Hiiragizawa." Syaoran said bluntly.

After his words were spoken, a downpour of rain fell from the sky and began flooding the forest.

"Correction, she _hates_ you, no question about it." Syaoran smirked triumphantly. Eriol remained silent as he simply created a whirlwind to push the water out of their path while they walked.

Soon, they came across a pile of wreckage. Trees were thrown to the ground in a giant heap, and the earth appeared to be the culprit behind such an act.

"Hmm, interesting. I wonder, Syaoran, whose soul mate hates who now?" A ghost of a smirk was apparent, yet subtle on Eriol's face.

"Just keep moving, Hiiragizawa." Syaoran forced through clenched teeth.

"Hey guys," Ryo hollered from the other side of the wreckage, "it looks like the girls went down this hill into that small town below." He observed.

As he said this, the sun began to creep above the horizon signaling the morning hours were upon them. The boys had to squint while looking upon the aforementioned town.

"Well, let's hop to it!" Ryo announced, using his power to create a metal dirt board. Ryo left in a blur as he cascaded down the slope of the hill.

Soon, Eriol and Syaoran followed suit. Eriol summoned the wind to lift him into the air to soar to the hill's bottom, while Syaoran was outlined in a dark green aura calling to the roots of the forest to carry him down the hill. When they all arrived at the bottom, they were hit with a huge dose of magical prowess.

"Hot damn, that's a lot of magic." Ryo said wide-eyed and stunned.

"I should have realized this sooner…" Eriol trailed off.

"What do you mean, Hiiragizawa?" Syaoran suspiciously asked.

"This is the town of Tomoeda." Eriol began, "It's a famous settlement for sorcerers and sorceresses to gather and create homes for themselves. This town is only visible to the magically inclined, so mere mortals cannot find it. There are other towns similar to Tomoeda, but this town is the home of the founder of the Magician Law." Eriol finished.

"The girls can't have known this; otherwise, all their running would have been for nothing." Ryo implored. "They must not be aware of the significance of this town."

"That's not important right now, Ryo." Syaoran closed his eyes in thought. "The problem is there is far too much magic to sift through, and it will take time to find the girls. Who knows, maybe they'll desert the town after a while, and we'll not be the wiser."

Suddenly, Eriol came up behind Syaoran and whacked him upside the head. _THUNK_.

"Damn it Hiiragizawa! What the hell was that for?!" Syaoran demanded, rubbing his abused scalp.

"Oh good, for a moment I feared that you had grown a brain, but it seems to have been a fluke. Do not scare me like that my dear little cousin, thinking does not suit you very well." Eriol released a relieved sigh, yet his eyes held an impish glint.

"Why you…" Syaoran shook with anger.

"Hey now, calm down Syaoran. We have more important things to worry about than Eriol's blatant teasing." Ryo winced from the death glare Syaoran sent his way. Ryo feverishly waved his hands in front of his face trying his best to maintain the peace between his feuding friends.

"Yes Syaoran, cease this foolish childishness." Eriol sneered. Syaoran did all he could to avoid knocking Eriol's teeth out. "What we need now is to create a place of shelter, and then we can begin our search through Tomoeda." Eriol continued.

"Alright, let's go find an open place to set up!" Ryo exclaimed a little over the top, he just wanted to end their incessant fighting.

The three comrades walked through the empty streets of Tomoeda. It was still early in the morning, so many of the town's occupants were still asleep.

When they reached the edge of town, they saw a single home set apart from the rest of the town. They figured this was where newcomers were supposed to create their homes. Together, the boys constructed their home; it was the typical bachelor pad. They entered their temporary home and immediately found their rooms to get some sleep; they were completely drained.

Tomorrow morning they would begin their search through the town, and hopefully find what they longed for.

Well, they're all finally in one place…things are about to heat up!

_Special Thanks To:_

SanzoGirl

midnightblue123

tinkerbell795

rosedreamer101

Lady Amethyst II

MoonLove Angel

November Chill

amethyst fire phoenix

Chapter 5 is dedicated to you!!!

I'm so glad you're all enjoying the story! Don't forget to review…you know you want to…

Chapter 5: First Meetings

Exploring the town of Tomoeda…and a lil trouble…


	5. Chapter 5: First Meetings

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

A/n – Just so you know, the boys & girls have never seen each other before. The only way they can identify each other is if they use their elemental powers or sense their aura. They don't even know their names. Thanks to midnightblue123 for asking!

**Chapter 5: First Meetings**

Amethyst eyes slowly opened as dawn's first rays crept through the closed curtains. Tomoyo stretched her limbs on the soft feathered mattress, arching her back. Her hand covered a yawn, and she forced her tired body out of bed. When she stepped out of her room, the first thing she noticed was the absolute silence in the small house.

"Sakura? Meiling?" Tomoyo called, continuing her trek through the house into the kitchen.

When she arrived in the kitchen, she noticed a small piece of paper on the counter. Tomoyo went to pick up the paper and realized it was a note from Sakura. She began to read:

'Moyo,

Meiling and I didn't want to disturb you since you used a lot of elemental magic yesterday. We agreed it would be best to let you rest, so you can regain your energy. Meiling thought it would be a good idea to explore this town and maybe find a marketplace to buy a few things. No worries, we promise to keep a low profile.

Be back soon,

'Kura & Mei

Setting the note back on the counter, Tomoyo hugged her midsection to comfort herself. She couldn't help but feel positively nervous for her friends. The night before, she could sense Wind's presence. She could tell he used just as much magic as she did, but that's not what worried her the most. The sensation she felt when he used his magic was electrifying…and that's what scared her. She shouldn't be feeling that way; she's supposed to hate this man that has been haunting her for so long.

Tomoyo shook herself out of that reverie and decided she needed to get ready for the day.

Meanwhile, an exhausted wind sorcerer was experiencing the same emptiness in his new house. Eriol picked up a scrap of paper and began to read:

Morning Asshole,

If your dumbass couldn't figure it out, Ryo and I aren't there right now. Ryo figured we should let you rest, or some shit like that…whatever…anyway, we're out in town beginning our search for the girls. Whenever your lazy bum decides to get up, meet us in the marketplace. If you don't show, we'll just see ya back at the house.

Bite me,

Li & Ryo

p.s. This was all Syaoran

--- Ryo

Eriol just crumbled up the letter and threw it away; he'd get back at Syaoran later. It was time to get ready for hopefully the final hunt.

Tomoyo was starting to worry, not that she wasn't already a nervous wreck. Well, sitting around was never her cup of tea, so Tomoyo slipped on her sandals and dashed out the door. When she rounded a corner on her way to the market, she bumped into something sturdy and it caused her to fall. She closed her eyes tight and braced herself for impact, but it never came. Someone had a firm grip on her arm.

Tomoyo slowly opened her eyes and got her first glance at her savior. What she saw took her breath away. The sun silhouetted his muscular build, his eyes were a piercing blue hidden behind glasses, and his hair was also blue which fanned into his face.

Suddenly she was pulled into his hard chest. Tomoyo looked up into his face and licked her lips, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to run into you."

Her savior took this time to let his eyes roam over her body before replying, "Don't worry about it, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I knocked you down, after all."

"Thank you so much for helping me…?" Tomoyo trailed off.

"Eriol, you can call me Eriol." He supplied.

Tomoyo smiled and repeated his name to herself. "Well, you can call me Tomoyo."

Eriol knew he had business to do, but once she smiled at him, his heart skipped.

"It was nice meeting you, Eriol, but I must go. I was meeting some friends of mine at the market." Tomoyo excused herself and sidestepped Eriol to continue on her way.

Eriol sat stunned for a short time, before he thought up a reply. "What a coincidence!" he spun around, "I too am meeting some friends at the market. How about I escort you there, Miss Tomoyo?"

Tomoyo paused in her step, and gave him an over-the-shoulder smile. "I would like that very much, Eriol."

Together, they made their way to the market, unaware of the mayhem awaiting them.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to come here without Tomoyo, Mei?" Sakura asked nervously. "We don't even know the name of this town."

"Don't chicken out on me now, Kinomoto. Tomoyo's exhausted, it was best to let her sleep." Meiling replied.

They fell into a comfortable silence as they continued down the street. They could see people setting up their stands for the day's market, so Sakura and Meiling made their way in that direction. As they walked through the flea market, they could hear various hoots and whistles coming from a pair of shameless men.

"Hey, baby. Come on over here…I'll show ya a good time." Some thug taunted.

Sakura cringed and whispered to Meiling, "Are these guys serious? They're revolting. What kind of man starts hitting on women this early in the morning?"

Meiling laughed out loud at Sakura's comment. "Don't worry Kinomoto; these men are nothing but a waste of sperm."

Unfortunately, the pair of thugs heard what the girls had to say and it angered them severely. When the girls went to pass them, one grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her into him, surely that would bruise. "Get off me!" Sakura shrieked.

Meiling spun around and got into her fighting stance. "Let her go you creep!"

Sakura was struggling to get out of this stranger's grip, pushing at his chest and kicking where ever she could. When she turned her head towards Meiling, she screamed, "Watch out Mei…!" Her mouth was suddenly covered by a rough, sweaty hand.

Meiling went to turn around, but she was too late; the thug's gang surrounded her. Meiling eyed all her opponents and smiled dangerously. She launched an attack at the one on the left. She threw a right hook with a spinning-heel kick to the temple, knocking the man out cold. When she turned to take on her next challenge, someone snuck up behind her. She was struck from the right, and hit the ground _hard_. There was a sickening crack, and Meiling didn't move again. The man that knocked her out picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

Sakura watched the entire thing, and tears were coming to her eyes. She needed to get to Meiling _now_, so she bit down on the hand restraining her, copper-tasting blood filled her mouth. The man screamed, and then slapped Sakura throwing her to the ground. She yelped when her ankle landed awkwardly. Sakura became furious and was about to use her magic to punish these women-beaters, when a voice broke from the crowd.

"Unhand the ladies, you assholes!" A man in a green cloak demanded, while his friend cracked his knuckles.

"We found these bitches first, go and find your own, they're ours!" The thug restraining Sakura yelled.

"My friend asked nicely, that was your only warning." The man in a grey cloak glared menacingly.

"This isn't your business; my boys are just look'n for a good time…" The assumed leader laughed.

This only served to piss the 'saviors' off more. Without warning, the two split off and began their attacks. The man in green shot off in the direction of Sakura's captor, while the man in grey went after Meiling's captor.

The leader went to kick Sakura in the stomach, when the man in green positioned himself in between the two and blocked the shot. He retaliated with a right uppercut and left hook. The leader stumbled back a few feet. Sakura was simply stunned; not only was her rescuer extremely good looking, but he was an exceptionally skilled fighter. Her rescuer suddenly dropped to the ground and spun his leg to trip the leader off his feet. Afterwards, he shot back to his feet and thrust his foot onto the jerk's neck, adding pressure.

Meanwhile, the man in grey was dealing with the group holding Meiling hostage. He used a sleeping spell to knock out the two lackeys, so he could deal with the one holding Meiling personally. He launched a punch to the midsection, which caused the man to gag and drop Meiling, but her rescuer was quick and caught her before she hit the ground. He gently set her down, and then resumed his fight. The thug never knew what hit him.

"Now take your flunkies and get your ass outta here before I finish the job!" Sakura's rescuer demanded.

Meiling's rescuer tossed the two sleeping men at the leader and turned to go check on Meiling. When the men ran off, Sakura's savior turned to make sure she was alright.

"Hey, are you ok?" He asked softly, helping Sakura back to her feet. Sakura was slightly dizzy from the action and stumbled.

"Easy now, careful…" He placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her. Sakura looked into his eyes and saw such tenderness and concern in his chocolate orbs.

"I'm fine…thank you so much for what you did. I'm sorry if we caused you and your friend any trouble, mister…?" Sakura questioned.

"Oh, right. My name's Syaoran, and believe me, it was no trouble at all." Syaoran chuckled. This earned him a soft smile from Sakura.

"My name is Sakura. It's very nice to meet you, Syaoran." She blushed.

Syaoran was about to reply when they suddenly heard a slam accompanied by a bout of yelling.

"KYA!!!!" Meiling slammed a man that was hovering above her to the ground. "Think you can take advantage of me you SCUM!!!" Just as she went to punch, Sakura came limping toward her.

"MEI! It's ok. These men saved our lives." Sakura tried calming her friend.

Meiling stopped mid-punch. She blinked several times, looking down at the grey-clad man. Then she realized her position…she was straddling a stranger who supposedly saved her from God knows what. She immediately skidded off his body and started apologizing profusely.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry. It's just I woke up and I thought I was still in a fight and seeing you so close to me startled me and I wasn't sure what to do so I let instincts take over and…yeah…" Meiling rambled on blushing.

"Don't worry about it. I probably had it coming." The man in grey laughed while rubbing the back of his head. "By the way, I'm Ryo," he stretched out his hand.

Meiling smirked, "Meiling." She gripped his hand and shook.

Syaoran was helping Sakura walk over to Meiling and Ryo because she was still stumbling a little.

"H-hold on a sec…" Sakura whispered, "My ankle's bothering me a bit." She sat down on the ground and Syaoran went to examine her injury.

"You must've twisted it when you hit the ground." Syaoran growled at the memory.

"It's alright, Syaoran, I'll heal." Sakura tried to calm him with a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Then, they stood and continued their walk to their friends.

"I'll be fine…" Meiling growled, apparently she and Ryo were in the middle of an argument.

"You have a large bruise to the temple; it might be a concussion, you need to take it easy." Ryo tried to reason. "At least let me help you up."

"If you must…" Meiling sighed in defeat.

Once the four were reunited, they were startled by a dangerously calm voice.

"Keep a low profile, huh?" Tomoyo's voice was steady and deadly. "Honestly guys, you really shouldn't make promises you can't keep."

Syaoran and Ryo just looked a bit confused, but chalked it up to being a girl thing.

"'Moyo!" Sakura and Meiling shouted in unison.

"It's not what it looks like…" Sakura began.

"Then tell me what it looks like." Tomoyo's voice never wavered.

"Hey, I didn't start the fight this time 'Moyo!" Meiling defended herself. The guys all sweat dropped thinking '_she gets into fights often?'_

"She's right! A couple of jerks decided they'd get their rocks off on beating a couple of ladies." Ryo argued on Meiling's behalf.

Tomoyo's look softened from one of anger to that of concern and rushed to her friends to check on their injuries.

"Oh, hey Eriol. Didn't see ya there!" Ryo greeted.

Eriol merely waved in recognition as he studied Tomoyo. She seemed so familiar to him; there was just something about her…stern one moment, and motherly the next. He chuckled to himself; she was very kind, smart, beautiful, stern, and motherly. Yep, he's definitely categorized Tomoyo.

"So your lazy ass decided to get up, huh?" Syaoran broke Eriol out of his thoughts.

"I just couldn't deny you the grace of my presence, dear little cousin." Eriol teased.

"_Stop_ calling me that!" Syaoran glared as if that was enough to remove Eriol from his sight.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we should be off." Tomoyo intervened. All three girls bowed and said in unison, "We apologize for all the trouble we've caused you." As they turned to leave, the boys rushed to their side.

"You know Meiling, you really shouldn't be walking with that concussion. Maybe I should walk with you to make sure you'll be alright?" Ryo bargained.

"Sure." Meiling winked, and Ryo blushed.

"Yeah, and that sprained ankle isn't good to walk on either, Sakura. I could carry you if you want." Syaoran offered.

"I couldn't possibly ask you to…" Before Sakura could argue, Syaoran lifted her off her feet eliciting a giggle from Sakura.

"I wouldn't have offered if I thought it'd be a bother, Sakura." He whispered in her ear, making her blush.

As the four walked ahead, Tomoyo just hung back with a small smile on her face. Eriol snuck up behind her and whispered, "Shall we go, Miss Tomoyo?"

Tomoyo turned her head slightly over her shoulder with a smile and simply nodded. She and Eriol shared a quiet companionship as the men walked the girls home.

I made this chapter extra long for all of you readers and reviewers as a small treat! I just couldn't stop, lol. I want to thank all of you who've added my story to your story alerts/favorites, but most of all, I gotta thank my loyal reviewers!

_Special Thanks To:_

amethyst fire phoenix

eternalx3

Baby-Snow

midnightblue123

xxxemiko.itooshixxx

rosedreamer101

SanzoGirl

The next chapter is dedicated to you!!!

Chapter 6: Getting to Know You

The guys spend some alone time with the girls…


	6. Chapter 6: Getting to Know the REAL You

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

**Chapter 6: Getting to Know the **_**REAL **_**You**

Tomoyo looked up ahead to see Sakura, still in Syaoran's arms, pointing out simple directions back to their home. Her eyes softened as her gaze traveled from one friend to the other. Meiling was leaning heavily on Ryo for assistance, and Tomoyo worried that her concussion might be severe, but she smiled when Ryo would constantly check up on Meiling to ensure she wasn't slipping out of consciousness. For once in their lives, Tomoyo was glad that Destiny was not involved in their meeting the boys; they met by chance, not by Fate's plan. All the girls ever wanted was to find someone to love and be loved in return; they refused to be taken if love wasn't present, and that's why they broke the Magician Law, to ensure their own happiness.

Out of determination, Tomoyo used telepathy to contact Sakura and Meiling for a brief conversation.

'_Girls, we need to have a serious discussion.' Tomoyo began._

'_Aw, what is it 'Moyo.' Meiling complained, and Sakura merely listened._

'_You both know who they are, right?' Tomoyo questioned._

'_Yes.' They replied in unison._

'_Here's what we'll do. We'll test them to see if we can trust them. If they pass, we'll reveal ourselves to them.' Tomoyo explained. 'We need to know how they feel…' Tomoyo's connection was broken._

She managed to cover the important details before Eriol nudged her shoulder, causing her to jump, breaking her connection to the girls.

"Hey, calm down. What's got you so jittery?" Unknown to Tomoyo, Eriol was watching the emotions play across her face, and he was amazed at what he saw.

"It's nothing; I was just thinking is all." Tomoyo smiled up to him.

"'bout what?" Eriol really wished to know more about Tomoyo.

Tomoyo let her gaze penetrate Eriol to see if she could trust him with the somewhat truth. When she saw nothing to distrust, she answered.

"My friends and I have always had problems putting our trust in others. We fear that if we put our hearts on the line, we would receive nothing in return." Tomoyo's eyes suddenly found the ground so interesting.

Eriol pondered over his answer before he replied, "If you never take that risk, then life would not be as fulfilling. You would always spend your life wondering what could have been, and what life would that be?"

Amethyst eyes widened as her glance shot back up to Eriol. She couldn't deny she was grateful for his advice.

Eriol held his breath as Tomoyo embraced him, showing her gratitude. Her arms wrapped around his torso, clasping at his back while she snuggled into his chest resting her ear upon his heart to listen to the soft beats, relaxing against him. She leaned up on her tip toes to whisper into his ear. The feel of her light puffs of breath as she spoke into his ear sent Eriol into a nervous frenzy.

Tomoyo licked her lips before whispering, "Thank you, Eriol. You have no idea how much that meant to me." She lightly pecked him on the cheek and began her slow walk home.

Eriol's hand came up to touch where her lips made contact with his skin, and a dreamy smile graced his features. He jogged to catch up to Tomoyo and took her hand in his as they continued their walk. Tomoyo blushed from this action, but did not pull away.

A short ways ahead, Ryo was doing his best to keep Meiling awake. The majority of her weight was leaning against Ryo, and he was starting to worry. When he glanced down to her, her eyes were fluttering closed. He put his arm around her and gave her a gentle shake that jolted her awake. Her ruby eyes glanced up to him in a half-hearted glare; she was in the middle of a conversation with Tomoyo and Sakura. Ryo returned her glare with a gentle smile, which turned Meiling's glare into a tired sigh.

"Please try to stay awake a while longer Meiling. You've got at least one more hour before we can be sure you're out of the danger zone." Ryo tried to reason.

"Ok, Ryo…I'll try." Everything became silent between the two when Meiling startled Ryo by saying, "Can we talk a little, so I'll stay awake?"

Ryo looked down to Meiling with a smile, and nodded. "Sure. What would you like to talk about?"

"Can you tell me a little more about yourself?" Meiling questioned.

"Well, there's not much to tell." Ryo thought for a while. "I'm 21yrs. old, I like to travel a lot, sparring with Syaoran was always a favorite past time of mine…" Ryo chuckled, eliciting a small giggle out of Meiling. "I enjoy martial arts, and the rewards of saving a beautiful lady from stupid pricks." Ryo finished and smiled when he got an all out laugh from Meiling.

"Well, we aren't so different." Meiling began, "I love martial arts. It's something I was trained in at a very early age. My aunt made sure I knew all the basics at the age of 5. I don't really care for traveling, but it's something I've become accustomed to. I'm a loyal friend, and I have the fiery temper of a raging bull." Meiling finished.

Ryo couldn't help but laugh at her last remark because he witnessed just how Meiling's temper flared when she attacked him.

Now was as good a time as ever; Meiling wanted to know Ryo's feelings. She made a request. "Ryo?" Meiling's eyes began to flutter closed. "Hmm?" Ryo looked down to her. "Promise you won't leave me." Ryo's eyes widened in shock, unsure if Meiling was aware of what she was asking. His look softened. "I promise, Meiling. But you have to promise me something as well…" Meiling's eyes found his in a half daze. "What?"

"You have to promise to stay awake." Ryo whispered to her, and Meiling smiled at his concern. "I'll do it, for you Ryo…" Meiling gripped his arm and hugged it to her, releasing a sigh. The tomboy, Meiling, was falling hard for this man and for once she didn't care.

Another stretch up the road, Syaoran carried Sakura as they made their way to the girls' home. Sakura rested her head on his shoulder while giving directions back to the house. Tomoyo began a mental connection between Meiling and herself, so she listened as much as she could to the conversation before she had to give more directions.

"Turn right at this corner and go straight until the last house four blocks down." Sakura pointed as she spoke.

"So, how'd you manage to get mixed up with those creeps anyway?" Syaoran started conversation.

Sakura looked up at him with the inklings of a smirk on her face. "I just asked what kind of man hits on a woman so early in the morning, and Meiling said not to bother with them because they're nothing but a waste of sperm…apparently we offended them." Sakura giggled, and Syaoran held in his laughter.

When Sakura had pointed out the directions earlier, he noticed a large bruise forming on her upper arm and also the bruise forming on her cheek, and it caused a frown to mar his features. Sakura noticed the change in his mood.

"What's the matter, Syaoran?" Sakura's brows curved in confusion.

"He gave you those bruises, didn't he." It was more of a statement than a question.

Sakura averted her eyes from him so her hair would cover the dark blemish, and she subconsciously began rubbing her upper arm's bruise in shame. "He never should have been able to touch me." Sakura whispered.

"You were caught off guard, that's all. Don't let'em get to you, Sakura." Syaoran tried to remedy the situation because he felt guilty for bringing up such a tender subject.

"No, that's not it. He shouldn't have been able to touch me!" Sakura's voice rose.

"What do you mean, Sakura?" Syaoran was becoming confused.

"I could have easily stopped them with my magic! But I wasn't thinking…and Meiling got hurt…I'm so stupid…" Tears came to her eyes just thinking about the day's events.

"Hey, don't blame yourself. Nothing that happened today was your fault." Syaoran tried to soothe her. "Besides, that's what manly men are for. It's our job to save the day." Syaoran joked earning a weak smile from Sakura.

"I'm sorry, Syaoran. It's just one thing after another with me." Sakura dried her eyes.

"Only keeps things interesting." He smiled down at her. Sakura gave a watery giggle.

"How's your ankle doing?" Syaoran glanced down at her foot to assess her injury.

"It stings a little, but as soon as we get back to the house I'll have it healed in no time." Sakura chirped.

"Do you mind if I hang around a while when we get there?" He blushed out of embarrassment.

"Sure! I would love to spend more time with you!" Sakura burst into a broad grin. Suddenly, Sakura's voice became meek. "Um, Syaoran, can I ask you something personal?"

"You can ask me anything, Sakura." Syaoran acquiesced.

"Have you…what I mean to say is…do you feel some kind of…connection from the moment we met?" Sakura cautiously asked.

Surprised by the question, Syaoran stiffened. Sakura thought she overstepped her boundaries, so she backpedaled, stumbling over her words.

"You don't…have to answer that…it was a silly question, and you probably think I'm crazy for asking such a thing…oh, what _was_ I thinking…I'm sorry for…" Syaoran interrupted.

"Yes." Syaoran answered.

"…even bothering you with stupid quest – HOE?!" Sakura immediately stopped her rambling apology. Syaoran chuckled at her display.

"Yes, Sakura, I do feel connected to you, but I don't know why…it's all rather sudden." Sakura simply nodded her head dumbly; somewhat stunned that he felt the same.

Sakura was deep in thought when Syaoran stopped walking. She looked up at him questioningly. "We're at the last house four blocks down, Sakura." Syaoran explained. Sakura blushed heatedly, and motioned for him to enter through the gate. Syaoran was about to follow her instructions when he noticed something odd.

"Hey, this is weird! We live right next door to you girls." Sakura's head shot up so fast that she accidentally clocked Syaoran in the jaw. Sakura immediately apologized while rubbing her sore head.

"Don't worry about it. I was just as shocked." Syaoran amended.

Tomoyo, Eriol, Meiling, and Ryo came up along side Syaoran and Sakura wondering how ironic it was that they were neighbors. The girls made eye contact with each other, and Tomoyo nodded.

"Well, this just means we can visit each other any time, huh?" Ryo joked.

Meiling just shrugged and grabbed Ryo by his cloak's collar and proceeded to drag him inside, so she could finally rest. They slowly disappeared, which left the remaining four outside.

Meiling led Ryo over to the futon where she could finally get off her feet. Ryo immediately took a seat next to her. Meiling let her gaze fall on Ryo, assessing how she should break it to him.

"How do you feel?" Ryo queried.

Meiling smiled at his concern. "I'll survive."

"Do you mind if I use my powers to heal you?" Ryo fidgeted.

"Oh, please do! There's only so much more of this headache I can take." Ryo closed his eyes in concentration while holding his hands up to the purplish bruising.

Meiling felt a tingling sensation pass through her, and her headache slowly disappeared along with the enormous bruise. She could just feel how careful Ryo was being with her injuries that she couldn't contain herself. As soon as he'd finished, Meiling leapt off the futon and tackled him to the ground.

"M-Meiling?!" Ryo stuttered nervously.

"Ryo, I've kept my promise to you. Will you keep the promise you made to me?" At first Ryo didn't know what she was talking about, and then it dawned on him. He promised he would not leave her.

"Of course I will. What is this about Meiling?" Ryo asked suspiciously.

"It'd be easier if I showed you…" Meiling sat up on the ground and accessed her elemental power, her eyes glowing a brilliant fiery red. She produced a ring of fire spiraling from her open palm.

Realization was apparent in Ryo's eyes as he watched Meiling present her skill. Meiling and Fire were one in the same. Ryo was face to face with his soul mate.

"Umm…surprise?" Was all Meiling could say. Ryo merely nodded, clearly stunned.

When the shock wore off, Ryo wrestled Meiling back down to the floor. Once he had her pinned, he locked eyes with her asking only one question, "You'll stay?"

Meiling smirked up to him, "I'll stay."

That was all the reassurance Ryo needed to hear. He jolted to his feet, pulling Meiling up with him. He lifted her into the air, spinning her around the room, earning laughter from his soul mate. After so many years apart, they could now be together.

Meanwhile, Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, and Eriol remained outside enjoying the fresh air and solitude.

Sakura asked Syaoran to set her down in the yard inside the gate, so she could inspect her ankle. Tomoyo and Eriol followed them through the gate and took a seat on the swing, side by side.

After Sakura examined her ankle, she began to hum. Syaoran glanced at her unsurely, until a green light engulfed Sakura's body. Sakura called forth the power of the earth's energy to heal her injuries. Her eyes became a shimmering emerald. Slowly the bruises vanished and the sting from her ankle receded.

Syaoran's eyes widened in disbelief, for at that moment he sensed Earth's presence. He tried to follow her aura, and then he realized Earth was sitting right beside him! He couldn't believe it! Sakura and Earth were the same person!

When Sakura finished, she stood up and tested her weight on her formerly injured foot. Feeling no pain, she jumped up and down cheering in victory.

"Look Tomoyo! I'm all better now!" Tomoyo gave Sakura an approving look, acknowledging that now the sorcerers would know who they were.

"That's wonderful Sakura!" Tomoyo hollered back down to her.

Syaoran decided he would keep the information to himself for the time being and enjoy the time he had with his soul mate. He and Sakura laid down in the grass staring up into the sky.

"Why wait until now to reveal yourself to me, Earth? And how did you know who I was?" Syaoran whispered.

"I'll answer your second question first, Syaoran." Sakura took a deep breath and continued. "The green cloak was one clue, but that alone didn't give you away. You boys don't exactly hide your auras. I knew from the moment you saved me that you were the Wood sorcerer."

"Then why reveal yourself after hiding for so long?" Syaoran couldn't believe the turn of events.

"I'm afraid the answer to that question will have to wait until everyone is aware of who we are. Please be patient with me, Syaoran." Sakura begged with big, green doe eyes.

Syaoran pushed himself up from the grass, and Sakura feared he was angry until she was scooped into his arms, her back to his chest. Syaoran nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear, "I'd wait forever for you." Sakura smiled softly at that.

Meanwhile, Tomoyo rested her head against Eriol's shoulder with her legs tucked underneath her. She and Eriol never broke their handholding the entire time. Their hands rested in Eriol's lap, still entangled. The swing gently rocked the two, and Tomoyo released a sigh of contentment. Eriol was the first to break the silence.

"Miss Tomoyo?" Eriol began.

"Please, Eriol, just call me Tomoyo," was her small request. Eriol smiled lightly, repeating her name.

"Tomoyo, may I ask a question?" Tomoyo enjoyed hearing her name fall from his lips. "You may." She granted permission.

"I hope you don't think me too forward, but what do you feel towards me?" Tomoyo pondered a response.

"It's funny." Tomoyo began, confusing Eriol to no end. "What's funny about my question?"

"Nothing, I was referring to Destiny." Eriol was silent, realizing that he had a destiny yet to fulfill. He felt slightly guilty about the feelings that were stirring up inside him, when Tomoyo was not his soul mate.

"I've been running from Destiny for so long, it just feels nice to slow down and enjoy life." Eriol was unsure if she'd ever answer his question. "When I took time to settle, you entered my life, Eriol. I've only known you for a day, but I can honestly say I feel as though I've known you my entire life."

Eriol was about to interrupt to say he felt the exact same way, but Tomoyo pressed on.

"I confided in you my greatest fear, and you helped me realize my fears were unfounded. I'm a fool for running for so long. I'm so sorry for making you chase after me for so long, Eriol." Tears were running down Tomoyo's cheeks as she said this.

"What do you mean? I haven't been chasing you for more than a day." Eriol chuckled, but when Tomoyo didn't join him in laughter he looked to her in concern.

"No, you've been hunting me for two years, Wind." Tomoyo called forth her element of water, her eyes transformed into a shimmering blue, revealing herself to Eriol.

"What?! But how? Tomoyo, you're Water?!" Eriol was feeling so many emotions in that moment.

Tomoyo bent her head in shame and simply nodded.

Everything seemed to click for Eriol. Tomoyo left several clues for him to follow, the talk about running away, Destiny, and love.

"Why, Tomoyo, why did you break the Magician Law?" Eriol's voice was strained, afraid to hear the answer.

"From the moment a sorcerer and sorceress are born, their aura seeks out an equal as a soul mate. Fate pre-determines how their lives will pan out without regard to the people in question. Sakura, Meiling, and I were afraid. We feared that we could not find love in this 'arranged marriage.' We were never given the chance, thus we were hunted. The only way for us to gain happiness was to break Magician Law and run away, in hopes that we'd find love in our own way, in our own time." Tomoyo choked on her last words, "We…we wanted…our freedom."

Eriol was hurt for the longest time when his soul mate ran from him, but after hearing Tomoyo's explanation his hurt turned into compassion for what she'd gone through in life. Eriol pulled Tomoyo closer to his body and let her cry. He let her cry for the two years they had been apart…for the turmoil they both had felt.

"I must repulse you now. I was so selfish, Eriol." Eriol hushed her, rubbing small circles on her back to soothe her nerves.

"You could never repulse me, Tomoyo." Eriol reassured her. "But I do have one question."

"What is it?" Tomoyo asked.

"Why now? Why tell me all this now?" Tomoyo bit her lip.

"I'm sorry, Eriol, but I cannot tell you until I'm sure all of your friends know the truth as well." Eriol nodded in agreement, lifting Tomoyo into his lap and cradling her, washing all her fears away along with her tears.

"I have you now, Tomoyo. As long as you promise not to disappear, waiting is no challenge for me." Tomoyo hiccupped and gave him a watery smile, lifting her pinky finger in the air.

"I promise." Eriol linked pinkies with her and leaned forward to plant a soft kiss to her forehead.

They relaxed into each other as the swing rocked them into a comforting rest.

Don't worry, this story is FAR from over!!! There will be even more fluff, danger, fights, and hopefully REVIEWS!!!!

A/n - I hope this chapter didn't confuse all of you, if you have any questions just let me know & I'll be sure to answer them! BTW, was that too much fluff?

_Special Thanks To:_

Lady Amethyst II

amethyst fire phoenix

tinkerbell795 – thanks for going back & reviewing ch.4 then 5

SanzoGirl

rosedreamer101

pretty peach

xxxemiko.itooshixxx

poochyyxx

The next chapter is yours!!!

Chapter 7: Nothing but the Truth

The girls reveal all their secrets…but is there trouble on the horizon for these newfound lovers???


	7. Chapter 7: Nothing but the Truth

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

**Chapter 7: Nothing but the Truth**

Laughter erupted from the doorway, grabbing the attention of the two couples relaxing in the yard. Meiling shook her head at the bumbling idiot that was her soul mate. Ryo just found his comrades state of cheesiness too ridiculous to pass up because he'd never seen them like this before. Naturally, he had to poke fun.

"Wow, Syaoran. You say the sweetest things…and Eriol, I never knew you were a cuddler." Ryo was knee-slapping laughing by now.

Unknown to Ryo, Syaoran and Eriol were getting mighty pissed. Eriol sent Syaoran a look, and for once Syaoran agreed to work with Hiiragizawa. Eriol disentangled himself from Tomoyo, and Syaoran lifted Sakura from his lap and stood. The girls turned their heads to follow their men's movements. Meiling simply side-stepped from her newfound love, out of harm's way.

Eriol and Syaoran rolled up the sleeves of their cloaks as they approached the unsuspecting sorcerer. Eriol cleared his throat, getting Ryo's attention, and Syaoran cracked his knuckles. Ryo started to sweat profusely and uttered a single word, "Damn…"

_BAM_

_POW_

_WHACK_

_THUNK_

Sakura covered her eyes, Tomoyo cringed, and Meiling simply sighed at Ryo's stupidity. When the dust cleared, Syaoran was shaking hands with Eriol.

"Nice doing business with you."

Syaoran glared, "Don't expect it often."

Eriol smirked, "Wouldn't expect anything less."

During this exchange, Tomoyo silently asked Sakura and Meiling if they've revealed themselves. She received a nod from each. Releasing a sigh, Tomoyo uncurled herself and stood from the swing. Sakura stood from the grass and dusted herself off. Meiling rolled her eyes at the men's display and walked over to her friends. When the guys finished their 'business,' they turned to see the girls standing together in a line with serious expressions marring their features.

Eriol was the first to speak. "It's time for the truth." Eriol let his eyes scour the area before he came to a conclusion. "Let's move this conversation indoors. We wouldn't want any _other_ parties to overhear."

Syaoran and Ryo understood the meaning behind Eriol's words. They were in the town of Tomoeda, home of the Magician Law, the same law their soul mates broke. If someone were to overhear this conversation, the girls would be taken away and stripped of their powers.

One by one, the magicians entered the threshold of the girls' home. They gathered in the living room. Tomoyo and Eriol sat together on the futon, Meiling and Ryo made themselves comfortable on the floor, and Sakura and Syaoran shared a chair with Sakura splayed across Syaoran's lap.

Once everyone was comfortable, Tomoyo cleared her throat. "Now that you all know who we really are, we're open to any and all questions you might have."

Everyone was silent until Syaoran spoke up. "Why reveal yourselves now, after running for two years?"

Sakura fidgeted, trying to find the words to answer. "We knew who you were when you rescued us today."

Ryo was confused, but Meiling rubbed her neck guiltily. "Uh, yeah. That's why I attacked you when I woke up, Ryo. I could sense your aura, and I thought we were finally caught…heh-heh." She replied sheepishly. "Sorry 'bout that…"

Then it dawned on Ryo how they were able to sense them. "You could sense our auras because we did nothing to hide them. We were using them to sort through all the magic in this town to find auras that match our own."

"Needless to say, it wasn't that difficult." Meiling shrugged.

"So if you knew who we were, why didn't you run off or fight us?" Syaoran asked curiously.

"You saved my life, Syaoran." Sakura looked down to him from her position. "I don't take that lightly." Meiling and Tomoyo nodded in agreement.

"We were baffled by all of your kindness." Tomoyo piped up. "We wanted to see if it was genuine. We wanted to know if our running was foolish, and…it was."

Eriol gave Tomoyo a stern look. "It was not foolish to be afraid of the unknown, Tomoyo." She jumped a little at his choked response. "It was like you told me. Our lives were planned out the day we were born; you had no choice in the matter. You wanted the chance to find love, not be forced into something where love is a meaningless factor." Tomoyo was shocked at how supportive and understanding Eriol was.

"That's true," Meiling jumped in, "we didn't want to be in a loveless relationship. We wanted true happiness…freedom…freedom to choose, freedom to love, freedom to live."

Ryo embraced Meiling when she tried to hold a brave front. He could tell that she was so torn up on the inside, and she was trying to hold back her emotions.

"I never thought of it that way." Syaoran mumbled, but Sakura heard him. "Why are you suddenly alright with this? Didn't Destiny win overall?"

Sakura giggled in response. Tomoyo decided to answer this question. "No, Destiny did not win." She received a bunch of blank looks from the men of the group, and she stifled a giggle.

"If we would have allowed the bonding to take place at the appointed time, then Destiny would have won. We met each of you by chance. I literally bumped into Eriol while running around a corner too fast; he didn't even know _who_ he bumped into." Tomoyo hid a smile while Eriol flushed from embarrassment.

"And you boys rescued us 'helpless' ladies without knowing _who_ it was you were rescuing." Meiling dramatized, pointing to Syaoran and poking at Ryo. "Kinda like doin' a good Samaritan act or something."

"This still doesn't answer my dear little cousin's question." Came Eriol's taunting reminder, earning a growl from Syaoran.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that…got a little side tracked, eh heh." Sakura blushed. "We agreed to reveal ourselves to you if we felt we could trust you…and let me just say that earning our 'trust' is hard to come by."

Tomoyo nodded in agreement, "Think of it as a test. We each either asked you a personal question or revealed something personal to you, and you responded perfectly."

The boys' eyes widened in realization.

_Eriol's Flashback_

"_My friends and I have always had problems putting our trust in others. We fear that if we put our hearts on the line, we would receive nothing in return." Tomoyo's eyes suddenly found the ground so interesting._

_Eriol pondered over his answer before he replied, "If you never take that risk, then life would not be as fulfilling. You would always spend your life wondering what could have been, and what life would that be?"_

_Amethyst eyes widened as her glance shot back up to Eriol. She couldn't deny she was grateful for his advice._

_Eriol held his breath as Tomoyo embraced him, showing her gratitude. Her arms wrapped around his torso, clasping at his back while she snuggled into his chest resting her ear upon his heart to listen to the soft beats, relaxing against him. She leaned up on her tip toes to whisper into his ear. The feel of her light puffs of breath as she spoke into his ear sent Eriol into a nervous frenzy._

_Tomoyo licked her lips before whispering, "Thank you, Eriol. You have no idea how much that meant to me." She lightly pecked him on the cheek and began her slow walk home._

_Ryo's Flashback_

_Meiling wanted to know Ryo's feelings. She made a request. "Ryo?" Meiling's eyes began to flutter closed. _

"_Hmm?" Ryo looked down to her. _

"_Promise you won't leave me." Ryo's eyes widened in shock, unsure if Meiling was aware of what she was asking. _

_His look softened. "I promise, Meiling. But you have to promise me something as well…" _

_Meiling's eyes found his in a half daze. "What?"_

"_You have to promise to stay awake." Ryo whispered to her, and Meiling smiled at his concern. _

"_I'll do it, for you Ryo…" Meiling gripped his arm and hugged it to her, releasing a sigh. The tomboy, Meiling, was falling hard for this man and for once she didn't care._

_Syaoran's Flashback_

"_Um, Syaoran, can I ask you something personal?"_

"_You can ask me anything, Sakura." Syaoran acquiesced._

"_Have you…what I mean to say is…do you feel some kind of…connection from the moment we met?" Sakura cautiously asked._

_Surprised by the question, Syaoran stiffened. Sakura thought she overstepped her boundaries, so she backpedaled, stumbling over her words._

"_You don't…have to answer that…it was a silly question, and you probably think I'm crazy for asking such a thing…oh, what was I thinking…I'm sorry for…" Syaoran interrupted._

"_Yes." Syaoran answered._

"…_even bothering you with stupid quest – HOE?!" Sakura immediately stopped her rambling apology. Syaoran chuckled at her display._

"_Yes, Sakura, I do feel connected to you, but I don't know why…it's all rather sudden." Sakura simply nodded her head dumbly; somewhat stunned that he felt the same._

_END FLASHBACK_

The girls were slightly annoyed that the guys spaced out during such an important discussion, so Tomoyo snapped her fingers in front of Eriol's face, Sakura gave Syaoran a pinch, and Meiling out right smacked Ryo upside the head.

"What?" Eriol blinked several times to refocus.

"OUCH! What was that for?" Syaoran glared up at a giggling Sakura.

"The hell did I do?!" Ryo gripped his head to stop the ringing.

"Come on fellas, try to pay attention." Meiling rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Tomoyo's features took on a somber look, catching Eriol's attention.

"Hey, what's wrong Tomoyo?" Eriol entwined his hand with hers.

"We are so sorry, Eriol." Sakura and Meiling also had solemn features.

"We were selfish." Sakura finished for Tomoyo.

"Cheer up, gals! We're all together now, no need to apologize." Ryo tried comforting. "You were just scared and unsure. Besides, that didn't stop us from pursuing you." Ryo laughed, trying to remedy the situation.

The girls smiled gratefully after hearing their forgiveness.

"Ladies, there's something you should know." Eriol eerily began to explain. "We were not the only ones in pursuit of you."

Now it was the girls turn for confusion.

Syaoran frowned as he picked up after Eriol. "There were others _interested_ in you after you ran." Ryo merely growled in anger.

Tomoyo panicked, "The Elders know we broke the Magician Law?!" The Elders was an organization filled with stuffy old men who overlooked the legality in magician affairs.

Eriol wrapped his arms around Tomoyo for reassurance. "The only way The Elders would know if you broke the Magician Law is if we turned you in…which we did not." There was a collective sigh among the group of girls. If The Elders caught them for breaking the law, their powers would be stripped and they'd be jailed.

"When it was made known to our clan that we were to be bonded to three of the strongest sorceresses of our generation, some of the clan's members became jealous." Syaoran explained, gauging their reactions…nope, they're still confused…

"Namely three men: Jin Tai, Jin Sai, and Jin Kai, who are brothers." Ryo listed through clenched teeth. "They always joked about finding you for themselves because they deemed us 'unworthy,' or some shit like that."

Eriol took over from there. "When you ladies turned eighteen, we were not the only ones searching for you. The 'Jin Brothers' pursued you as well. We've had run-ins with these jerks, but they always say the same thing before they cower away…'she'll never be yours.'"

Tomoyo was speechless at this new bit of information. She saw the turmoil in Eriol's features, and she wanted to comfort him to let him know she didn't plan on going anywhere. Tomoyo crawled over to him and rested her head in his lap, letting her feet dangle off the futon. Eriol smiled at Tomoyo's action and let his left hand stroke the length of her soft, wavy hair.

"What kind of powers do they have?" Sakura whispered a bit unnerved that they had stalkers.

"Jin Kai has the power of Pain. With a snap of his fingers, you'll be writhing in excruciating pain…he's after Meiling…" Ryo gripped his knees, knuckles turning white. Meiling was pissed that someone with such a horrible power wanted her as his trophy wife. When she saw the torture Ryo was going through, she moved to hug him from behind, offering any comfort she could.

"Jin Tai has the power of Fear. He can bring your worst fears to life…he's after Sakura…" Syaoran's grip on Sakura tightened, and tears gathered in the corner of her eyes from the fact that a complete mad-man was after her.

"Jin Sai has the power of Manipulation. He can manipulate your body and mind to do or think whatever he wants…he is after Tomoyo." Eriol's features hardened once more when he noticed Tomoyo's skin turn ghost white from fear. Eriol forced out the remaining fact about the brothers, "Due to their improper use of their magic, the 'Jin Brothers' were exiled from our clan."

Meiling had a question that was tingling on her lips, just begging to be answered. "What is the name of your clan?" She held her breath, waiting for an answer.

Syaoran glanced over at her and said, "The Li-Clan."

Everything was silent. Tomoyo looked to Meiling worriedly, and Sakura dared not breathe. The boys didn't understand what was going on.

Tons of emotions weighed down on Meiling's heart as she shakily replied, "I-I see."

Ryo became worried when tears trickled down Meiling's cheeks, staining her suntanned skin. No one dared to say a word until Meiling broke the silence.

"Tell me…how is Yelan?" Syaoran, Ryo, and Eriol's eyes bugged out at her question.

"How do you know my mother's name?" Syaoran asked suspiciously.

"She's your mother?" Meiling received an affirmative nod from Syaoran. "Your last name's Li?" She received another nod.

Meiling was quiet for a while, gathering her thoughts. She looked up at all the occupants in the room. "My name is Meiling Li, member of the Li-Clan. Yelan is my aunt, and Syaoran and Eriol are my cousins."

Gee, the day was just full of surprises.

Syaoran silently nudged Sakura to a standing position, and Eriol lifted Tomoyo to a sitting position. They slowly made their way to Meiling, almost afraid to touch her. They knew they had a cousin Yelan didn't want them to meet, but they never knew why. When they reached her, Syaoran dropped to his knees in front of Meiling in shock. Eriol wasted no time embracing the girl, and Syaoran joined in the hug muttering things in her ear.

"Why wouldn't they let us meet you? We knew we had another cousin, but mother would not let us meet you…no matter how often we asked." Syaoran whispered.

"Aunt Yelan told me that I had to stay away from the clan because my soul mate was part of it…and we weren't allowed to meet our soul mates until we turned eighteen." Meiling tried to explain.

"But why couldn't your own cousins meet you?!" Eriol softly demanded.

Tomoyo stepped in to answer, "Sakura and I were Mei's childhood friends…we did everything together. If you would have met Mei, you would have unintentionally met us as well."

"Yelan must have known that we were soul mates…after all, she does have strong perceptive skills. She knew from the beginning who we were, and what we meant to each other." Sakura joined the conversation.

"Oh yeah, definitely sounds like your mother Syaoran. She's a scary woman…knows everything…" Ryo shuddered. Syaoran choked on a laugh because he knew this to be true.

When the group hug ended, Syaoran got up and returned to his chair with Sakura, and Eriol stood and sat down on the futon with Tomoyo. Ryo scooped Meiling into his arms on the floor. They all basked in the knowledge they had gained in this one day:

They had their respective soul mate at last.

The girls were being pursued by the "Jin Brothers."

Meiling turned out to be the unknown Li cousin.

Everyone's thoughts were interrupted when a loud tummy growl issued from Sakura. A deep blush painted her face from embarrassment.

"Hoe…how about we get some dinner, eh heh?" The room erupted in laughter, including Sakura, as all the tension from the day's events slowly eased away.

Look out gals! The "Jin Brothers" are after ya!!! Wow, so much info. to process, hehe ,

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I hope it answered a lot of questions.

_Special Thanks To:_

poochyyxx

tinkerbell795

psycho-pyro-shrink

Hurts 2 b hurt by 1's u luv…

amethyst fire phoenix

SanzoGirl

MoonLove Angel

midnightblue123

Some of you have reviewed this story from the beginning, and others have joined in! Plz keep it up…and spread the word REVIEW!!! Next chappie is yours!!!

Chapter 8: Dinner and a Sleepover

The title is probably self-explanatory…


	8. Chapter 8: Dinner and a Sleepover

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

**Chapter 8: Dinner and a Sleepover**

Tomoyo arched her back while stretching her limbs. She caught Eriol staring, and she stifled a giggle at his expression. Leaning close to Eriol, not breaking eye contact, Tomoyo purred, "See something you like?"

Knowing that he was busted, Eriol decided to play along. "Yes Ma'am," he mischievously retorted, but became nervous when he felt Tomoyo's breath against his parted lips.

"What a pity…" Tomoyo drawled out, "you're such a dirty boy, Eriol…"

Eriol was feeling a little warm by their proximity. He could feel several pairs of eyes on him, but he didn't care. Tomoyo looped her arms around his neck, positioning herself in his lap.

"You really should wash up for dinner…" Before Eriol could react, Tomoyo summoned her element and drenched him from head to toe. Tomoyo was careful to remain dry during her small prank. Eriol was simply in shock, eyes wide and mouth hung open. Tomoyo leaned in and planted a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth, then hopped off his lap. A round of laughter filled the room as they watched the dumbstruck sorcerer.

"Well, let's go feed that belly of yours Sakura!" Tomoyo chirped. Sakura was a giggling mess when she linked arms with Tomoyo, strolling into the kitchen.

"You got played, Hiiragizawa!" Syaoran hooted.

Recovering from the shock, Eriol summoned the wind to quickly dry his wet clothes. He smiled to himself, '_It seems my soul mate is a playful, cheeky little thing_.'

"Well, boys, it's been real." Meiling stood from her spot beside Ryo. "I'm off to set the table, do what you want."

Meiling walked off to the kitchen to gather the plates, utensils, and glasses to set up in the dining room.

The men looked at each other, and immediately scrambled up to accompany their love-interests. When they entered the kitchen, they split up.

Tomoyo was rinsing the yellow, green, and red bell peppers using her element while summoning a large cutting knife and cutting board with the twitch of her finger. When the peppers were washed of any pesticides, Tomoyo reached for the green bell pepper and began chopping it into small strips. Eriol snuck up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder. This didn't startle Tomoyo at all, she never broke stride in her chopping. All she did was release a sigh, leaning into his chest.

Sakura was working at the stove, cooking the sliced beef in one pan and frying rice in the other. Syaoran hopped on the nearest countertop closest to her, and they began to talk animatedly. Sakura told him about her father and brother, and how much she missed them. Syaoran told her about his training days in the clan, and Sakura asked him if he'd teach her some defensive skills in the morning. Syaoran was more than happy to.

Ryo snatched the plates from Meiling's arms and followed her into the dining room. Meiling shook her head in defeat and lead him to the table. With the fighting spirit of the Li-clan, she challenged Ryo to a sparring match set for the following day. Ryo smirked and agreed, warning her that he wouldn't go easy on her. Meiling retaliated, saying he'd wish she'd go easy on him…and so they continued their playful banter until the table was set.

When the beef was nearly cooked, Sakura turned toward Tomoyo and smiled softly at the scene before her. She'd never seen Tomoyo so happy. Sadly, she had to interrupt.

"Hey, Tomoyo, are you done with those peppers?" Sakura hollered from the stove.

Tomoyo merely turned in Eriol's arms in laughter. "Yes, Sakura. I'll just send them your way." Tomoyo levitated the chopped vegetables over toward Sakura, and deposited them into the pan with the beef. Sakura mixed the pan's contents together, creating a mouthwatering stir-fry.

Ryo and Meiling re-entered the kitchen after preparing the table for six people.

"Is it almost time to eat, Sakura?" Meiling asked.

"Yep! Everyone go have a seat while Tomoyo and I bring out the food." Sakura suggested.

Eriol snuck a quick kiss to Tomoyo's cheek before leaving the kitchen with Syaoran.

Tomoyo's cheeks flushed with color as she went to help Sakura. Sakura glanced at her dear friend, and found herself smiling. Tomoyo and Sakura began taking dinner into the next room and set it down on the round table where everyone was gathered. Tomoyo filled their glasses with red wine before taking a seat next to Eriol.

(A/n: seating arrangement going clockwise, starting with Tomoyo – Eriol – Meiling – Ryo – Syaoran – Sakura and back to Tomoyo)

The food was passed around, and everyone partook in jovial conversation. There was much laughter when Ryo described the time when Yelan cornered them and gave them the "bonding" talk.

"I tell ya, we never saw it coming!" Ryo defended. "She was pulling Syaoran by the ear and holding me under her arm. What about Eriol? I'm so glad you asked that question! Well, she was forcing him to move through telekinesis. Eriol's heels were literally digging into the ground." Ryo choked out a laugh.

"I still say she is the scariest woman on the planet!" Ryo shivered.

"So what happened next??" Sakura was really getting into this story mainly because she never thought a person's blush could vary in color, like Syaoran's.

"Aunt Yelan called us cowards, and locked us in a room together." Eriol chuckled at the memory. "Then, she described…ahem…the occurrences in bonding, and let me just say that listening to her monotone voice while she's giving us the sex talk is so damn uncomfortable." Eriol cringed.

"Ha! That's not the half of it, Hiiragizawa!" Syaoran butted in. "Mother interrogated each of us separately just to make sure we weren't _gay_!"

Meiling was taking a sip of her wine when her cousin said this, and she started coughing uncontrollably. Tomoyo and Sakura were beat red from mirth of their humiliation.

"O-Oh my God! Auntie really did that?!" Meiling screeched. She was answered by several mortified nods. "Well, I hope ya'll like women. Otherwise we're gonna have lots of problems…"

The boys were unnaturally pale after Meiling's statement. Ryo made two fists and shouted, "I'm _not_ gay!"

"Of course you're not, sweetie. If you were, I'd hafta knock your ass straight." Meiling threatened with a forced smile.

Tomoyo and Sakura stood after reeling from their laughter and began clearing the table.

"Hmm…I suppose Yelan gave us a much easier time with the bonding talk." Tomoyo noted. Three pairs of eyes were pinned on her waiting for an explanation. "She just told us that the bonding would occur in its own time, and once that happens we'd know that it's time to consummate."

"Yeah, go figure…" Ryo growled. "No big deal that she planted images into our minds as well…"

Tomoyo offered a small smile and waltzed back into the kitchen. It was only a matter of minutes before she returned from washing the dishes. When she walked into the living room, she noticed how empty it was. Eriol was the only one present, sprawled out on the futon with his eyes closed.

Tomoyo suddenly had an evil thought. She ran towards Eriol and jumped onto his stomach so she was straddling him. Eriol wheezed from the added pressure, but made no motion to move her. She laid down so her head rested on his chest, and she listened to the gentle beats of his heart.

Tomoyo broke the silence, "Where is everyone, Eriol?"

Eriol responded tiredly, "Sakura and Meiling offered to let us spend the night here, so I imagine they went off to bed." Eriol was too tired to even crack jokes about the situation.

"What are you doing on the futon?" Tomoyo asked quietly.

Eriol glanced down at her, and smiled. "Waiting for you." Tomoyo blushed prettily.

"Well, come on. Let's get ready for bed." She sat up nervously, pulling Eriol into a sitting position.

"I can sleep here tonight, Tomoyo." Eriol suggested, patting the futon.

Tomoyo wrinkled her nose in disapproval. "Nonsense, Eriol. You'll sleep with me." Tomoyo realized how wrong that came out and tried to fix the situation because Eriol was giving her a blank look with a nosebleed. "What I meant was you can share a bed with me…it would be rude of me to make you sleep on that rough futon, eh heh."

Tomoyo stood up, taking Eriol with her. They walked to her bedroom hand in hand. Tomoyo looked down at her lavender spring dress and snapped her fingers. Her dress transformed into comfortable blue pajama pants and a plain white tank. Tomoyo's long raven hair was pulled up into a messy bun. She turned toward Eriol expectantly.

Eriol glanced down, noticing his midnight blue cloak. He closed his eyes and his cloak transformed into a white t-shirt and plaid boxer shorts. Eriol took off his glasses and set them on the bedside table. When he next glanced at Tomoyo, she was in the process of pulling back the bedding. Eriol gulped nervously, watching Tomoyo bend over like that was giving him very improper thoughts.

Tomoyo crawled onto the mattress, waiting for Eriol to join her. When she saw how nervous he was, she simply patted the place beside her and calmed him with a soft smile. Eriol smiled back and slowly slid into his designated spot.

The moonlight shown brightly through the small window above the bed. Tomoyo scooted closer to Eriol, her form highlighted by the moonlight. She snuggled into his chest with an arm tucked under her head and the other on top of his heart. Eriol smiled gently and encircled Tomoyo's waist in his strong arms. He kissed her forehead, releasing a soft sigh from her.

"Why are you letting me do this?" Eriol asked softly. Tomoyo glanced up at him with tired eyes. "Because I trust you, Eriol." Tomoyo caressed his cheek, and Eriol closed his eyes. "Because…I care for you, Eriol."

Eriol's eyes shot wide open, and his eyes immediately sought Tomoyo's. Sincerity shimmered in her amethyst pools. Eriol's arms tightened around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"I care for you too, Tomoyo." Eriol whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. Tomoyo leaned up and kissed the cheek her hand was previously caressing. She snuggled back into his chest, a soft blush on her cheeks.

"Goodnight, Eriol." Tomoyo sighed.

"G'nite, Tomoyo." Eriol yawned, slipping into a pleasant sleep.

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First of all, I'd like to say that this chapter was more of a filler chappie if anything. Secondly, none of the couples have confessed their undying love for each other yet, and none of them have had their first _real_ kiss yet…trying to build up suspense/angst/whatever else…

Thanks for the reviews! Things are about to pick up, so be sure to keep reviewing!!!

The next three chapters will be one on one time with the couples…starting with SxS, followed by MxR, and finally ExT

Chapter 9: Sakura's Lesson

Syaoran fulfills his promise to teach Sakura self-defense…but why does Sakura feel like someone's watching her…?


	9. Chapter 9: Sakura's Lesson

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

**Chapter 9: Sakura's Lesson**

_Running, always running…why can't I stop running?! Where am I? I'm so alone, so scared. Everything's a blur to me; I try to figure out my surroundings, but I can't see anything. It's so dark and cold, yet I'm running blindly into this dark abyss._

_Voices? I hear voices! Finally, someone can help me, and we can figure out a way to escape this nightmare. Wait…I know those voices…it's Tomoyo and Meiling! My legs come to a stop, and I'm bent over clasping my knees, panting. I look up with a smile on my face, but the smile disappears when I see the look on my friends' faces._

"_Hey, 'Moyo, what's the matter?" I go to place a hand on her shoulder, but Tomoyo looks disgusted. She smacks my hand away before it touched her, and I feel a sudden pain in my cheek. I look over at Meiling, she hit me…Meiling hit me?_

"_Don't touch her, you weak pathetic girl!" Meiling sneered at me. She looks so angry, her fists clenched, shoulders raised, and eyes alit with fury._

"_Did I do something wrong?" I ask meekly, clutching my aching cheek. Tomoyo won't even look at me, she never speaks…not to me._

"_Wrong? Wrong?! I'll tell you what you did wrong!! You let our soul mates DIE!!!" Meiling screamed with all the air in her lungs. She was shaking in rage, her hair standing on end._

"_How?" I whispered sadly…I don't remember them dying…was I there when it happened?_

"_Why couldn't you love him, Kinomoto?! If you would've returned his feelings, he'd still be alive! But you were too selfish, weren't you?! He tried to save you! Hell, our soul mates tried to save you!! All you had to do was tell him you loved him, and they'd all be ALIVE right now!!!" Meiling turned to Tomoyo, they were leaving me. _

_I tried to call out to them, but they never made any indication that they heard me. Soon, they faded out of sight, and I was all alone once again in the darkness._

_I could see a spot light in my peripheral vision. I turned to see a figure lying limp on the ground, blood pouring from his lifeless body. I begin a slow walk towards this person. I catch a glimpse of green clothing, I walk faster. I see shaggy brown hair, I break into a run. No matter how fast I run, I never seem to get closer to the person, but it doesn't stop me from running, nothing could stop me from running now. As I approach, fear grips my heart. My hands rise to my cheeks, fingernails digging into my skin. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face, eyes puffy red, and I scream. All my anguish and fear is released in a blood-curdling cry._

_His eyes were wide open in horror, staring yet unseeing. He was reaching out toward me, begging me for something I couldn't understand. All I knew was my soul mate lay before me dead, and the only thing I could do was scream._

"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!! NO! SYAORAN!!!!" Sakura was thrashing about in the bed, sheets tangled, and tears rushing down her cheeks.

Syaoran awoke in a panic. He turned toward Sakura and immediately lifted her into his arms. He held her flailing limbs to her sides, so she wouldn't hurt herself or him. He whispered soothing words into her ear, trying to wake her from her nightmare. Sakura's eyes fluttered open; she was breathing heavily, trying to regain focus. Her emerald eyes connected with worried chocolate brown, and more tears fell after realizing whose eyes those were. Sakura placed her shaky arms on Syaoran's bare chest and cried, crying into his chest, her words muffled. He couldn't make out what Sakura was saying, so he did his best to calm her down.

"Shh, it's ok Sakura. I'm here. Just calm down." Syaoran squeezed his arms tighter around her small frame, rubbing small circles on her back. Soon, Sakura stopped crying and just hiccupped a few times before settling down completely.

"Are you alright now, Sakura?" Syaoran released some pressure, so he could lean back to gaze into her face.

She avoided his eyes because all she could think about were those dead, unseeing eyes from her dream.

In an almost inaudible voice, Sakura whispered hoarsely, "You're alive…"

Syaoran was confused by her statement, but figured she must be referring to her nightmare.

"…they said it was my fault…if I would have…if I…" Syaoran tilted her chin up, so he could look into her eyes.

"Sakura, listen to me. It was only a nightmare, nothing more. I'm alive; everything's going to be ok."

Sakura hesitantly let her hand reach up to stroke his cheek, half expecting it to be chilled by death. She jumped when she made contact with warmth, and her eyes softened. She crawled into his lap, wanting to feel closer to him, just for reassurance that he was alive. Sakura laid her head on his broad chest above his heart, listening to the soft beats. She closed her eyes, just letting the rhythm of his heart soothe her. Tilting her head, Sakura placed a soft kiss to his chest in the spot where his heart is.

Syaoran blushed by her actions; the intimacy was new to him, but he knew Sakura needed this; she needed all the reassurance she could get. He rocked her gently until he was certain she fell back to sleep. Carefully, Syaoran tucked her under the sheets. He chanced a glance out the window and realized it was still dark, so he shifted himself into a comfortable position, pulling Sakura into his chest. They fell back to sleep, Sakura feeling safe in Syaoran's embrace.

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Hidden in the shadows of a small alleyway, not far from the girls' residence, the Jin Brothers plotted. Jin Tai and Jin Sai came out of a trance, smirking evilly.

"So, did you guys pull it off?" Jin Kai interrogated.

"Chill, bro, we planted a lil sumth'n sumth'n in my cherry blossom's head." Jin Tai laughed maniacally.

Jin Tai and Jin Sai used their powers in a joint effort to lower the defenses of one of their 'chosen' women. Sai used Manipulation to get into Sakura's mind, bringing Tai with him. Once inside, Tai used his power of Fear to plant horrible thoughts into Sakura's head…thus, causing her nightmare.

"Now we wait for the opportune moment. The girl is gonna want to talk about her dream alone with the other beautiful maidens. We'll act when the losers aren't around." Sai explained in an obsessive manner. "Tai, I want you to keep an eye on your girl, but never make your presence known." Jin Tai nodded his head in the affirmative.

The brothers shared an evil laugh before disappearing into the night.

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Sakura squinted her eyes in an effort to block out the sun's rays, but it was futile. Realizing she needed to wake up anyway, she opened her eyes, blinking a couple of times. When she tried to sit up, she noticed an arm draped around her waist. Sakura blushed nervously, rolling over to see an amused Syaoran watching her.

"I would say 'good morning,' but something tells me that listening to your explanation of why-Syaoran-is-staring-at-Sakura-so-early-in-the-morning sounds so much more interesting." Sakura replied flatly.

Syaoran chuckled heartily. "Good morning to you too, Sakura."

Syaoran removed his hold from Sakura's waist, and was about to leave the bed when Sakura gripped his hand, stalling him. Syaoran looked down to their joined hands, and then let his eyes travel up to an embarrassed Sakura. Before he could even ask, Sakura jumped into an explanation.

"I wanted to say 'thank you,' for last night I mean…" Sakura trailed off. "I was really scared, and you calmed me down. Thanks." Sakura looked down at her lap.

Syaoran smiled and leaned forward, brushing her auburn bangs away from her eyes. Sakura's eyes lifted to meet his. "You're welcome, Sakura." Syaoran kissed her forehead, causing her eyes to close.

Sakura heard the sheets rustle, and noticed Syaoran getting up from the mattress.

"Well, let's get ready for that self-defense lesson I promised you." Syaoran turned in time to see a bright smile cross Sakura's pink lips.

When Syaoran was about to walk to the door, he heard Sakura's movements from the bed. Unknown to Syaoran, Sakura was standing on the bed, running off the edge. When he reached for the door knob, Sakura launched onto his back playfully. She was hugging his neck, babbling on about 'thank yous.' Syaoran laughed, twirling her around the room before setting her down.

"I'll meet you outside in a half hour." Syaoran waved, walking out the door.

Sakura squealed, dancing around the room. She was determined to put her nightmare behind her and enjoy her day out with Syaoran. First thing on her to-do list was to shower.

Once she was finished, she came back into her bedroom wrapped in a towel. She knew that a dress wouldn't be the best battle wear, so she had to think hard about what she should wear. She snapped her fingers, and was suddenly clothed. She wore a form-fitting pink spaghetti strapped shirt with loose-fitting athletic black pants. She pinned her shoulder length auburn hair into a low, short ponytail. Conjuring a light pink sweater, she tied it around her waist and jogged out the door to meet Syaoran.

Meanwhile, Syaoran was leaning against the trunk of a cherry blossom tree in a meditative stance. He was wearing a white muscle shirt and dark green training pants. He opened his eyes when he could sense Sakura's aura nearby.

"Hey, Syaoran!" Sakura chirped happily. Syaoran simply waved his hello. Sakura was so excited to begin her 'training.'

"C'mon Sakura, we're gonna go into a small clearing near the west mountains for your lesson." Syaoran grabbed her hand, leading the way. Sakura giggled and followed him, threading her fingers through his. This action brought out a blush in Syaoran.

They walked in companionable silence in the direction of the mountain terrain. When they arrived at the clearing, Syaoran released his grip, disentangling his fingers from Sakura.

"Alright, we need to stretch before we practice." Syaoran instructed. Sakura nodded enthusiastically, and copied his movements. When Syaoran thought they had loosened up enough, he began showing her some simple defensive moves.

"Now, the most important thing to worry about is your stance. Your legs need to be slightly bent at the knees, and your feet need to be spread apart. This allows you to be lighter on her feet and able to move quicker." Sakura shifted her legs according to his directions. When she was set, she looked up for more instruction.

"Good. Your arms should be lifted so that they are level with your shoulders…here, let me show you." Syaoran positioned Sakura's arms to balance her stance. Sakura blushed at their closeness.

"When I throw a right punch, I want you to block with your left. When I throw a left punch, you need to block with your right." He began his attack in slow motion, not really putting any force into his blows. He just wanted Sakura to get the main idea of how to block.

"You got the gist of it. Now, I'm going to put you into different submission holds…kinda like how that jerk was restraining you yesterday." Syaoran's eyes hardened at the memory. Sakura nodded in understanding.

Syaoran came up behind Sakura, wrapping one arm tightly around her waist and the other covering her mouth. Sakura blushed prettily from feeling his body behind her.

"The easiest way to get your attacker to release you is to first stomp painfully on his foot, to cause him to loosen his hold on you. Once you do that, you grip the arm that was covering your mouth and flip your assailant to the ground…" Syaoran didn't get to finish because he suddenly found himself staring up at the blue sky.

Sakura hovered above Syaoran worriedly, thinking she did something wrong. She was apologizing repeatedly, but stopped when Syaoran yanked her down to the ground on top of him. Syaoran was laughing, and Sakura was pouting.

"Never underestimate your opponent, Sakura." Syaoran chuckled. "And quit apologizing. You did a wonderful job, completely knocked the air outta me when I hit the ground. You're a quick study, ya'know."

Sakura smiled at the praise she was getting. They sat on the ground, side by side, while Syaoran explained several other defensive methods.

"So if your assailant comes at you in a frontal attack, thrust your palm up at his nose." Syaoran demonstrated the motion of the attack, and Sakura copied.

"If all else fails and your attacker is male, a quick sharp kick to the balls is sure to do the trick." Syaoran joked, but when he saw Sakura about to perform the attack, he panicked.

"Nonononono, Sakura!!! Use that if you need to, but not on meeee!!! I really wanna have kids in the future!!!" Syaoran begged, holding himself in case she didn't listen.

"Hoe? Would that really hurt my attacker that much?" Sakura asked innocently.

"You have no idea…if a male does that to another male, it's considered a cheap shot." Syaoran sank to the ground.

"Oh, Syaoran, you look a little pale. Maybe we should take a lunch break." Sakura suggested concerned. Syaoran sighed at his reprieve.

Sakura snapped her fingers and a picnic blanket appeared in the clearing's floor. Another snap of her fingers and a picnic basket filled with fruits, vegetables, sandwiches, and desserts appeared. Sakura kneeled on the blanket and began setting up the lunch, and Syaoran eventually joined her. She handed him his lunch and realized she forgot drinks. Sadly, she can't conjure up an element other than her own, such as water ("Where's Tomoyo when you need her???"), so she excused herself to go look for a stream to fill the empty canteen.

"I'll go with you…" Syaoran was about to stand up, but he was cut off by Sakura.

"No, that's okay. You stay and eat some lunch. I'll only be a little while." Sakura politely declined. Syaoran sat back down, gloomily.

Sakura walked through the shrubbery and in a short time, found a stream. She smiled happily and began to fill her canteen. In the middle of filling her water bottle, she felt eyes watching her. She jumped to her feet and scoured the area. That's when she felt something brush against her aura…and it wasn't Syaoran. Syaoran's aura was warm, green, and felt good to the touch, but this aura was cold, black, and scared her to death. Her skin became clammy, and she began to shake in fear. What she saw before her was a reenactment of her nightmare form last night.

She saw Tomoyo and Meiling…Meiling hit her…she hit the ground…Meiling's anger…a dead body…Syaoran's dead body…and then, Sakura screamed.

Syaoran burst through the shrubs to catch Sakura as she fainted.

When he was back in the clearing, he felt like something wasn't right. When he sent his aura to check on Sakura, it bumped into a darker aura. He recognized that aura…Jin Tai. Syaoran ran with all his strength to Sakura, and pushed through the shrubbery right when he heard her scream. That's when he caught her, she'd fainted. Syaoran's eyes searched through the area, looking for any sign of Jin Tai, but it was as though Jin Tai had vanished. Syaoran considered carrying Sakura back to the clearing, but decided against it. He thought it would be best if they returned to the house.

"Don't worry, Sakura. He will never come near you again." Syaoran vowed. He knew he'd have lots of explaining to do when they returned. Suddenly, Sakura's nightmare didn't seem so trivial.

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"You're a fool, Jin Tai!" Yelled an angry brother, Jin Sai. "I specifically told you not to reveal yourself! Now that idiot, Li, knows that you were there."

"I'm sorry brother. It's just that she was alone, and the moment seemed perfect…" Jin Tai defended himself.

"No matter! The losers will soon know of the nightmare we planted into the girl's head! We picked her because she seemed to be the weakest out of the three! Now we'll have to target one of the others." Jin Sai scolded.

"Let me have a go at Fire, brother." Jin Kai whispered quietly. Sai smiled wickedly, and nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes, bring that girl's spirit crumbling down. Make her feel insecure about her strength, Kai." Sai ordered, apparently he was the appointed leader in their brotherhood.

"Leave it to me." Kai vanished. Soon his brothers shimmered away as well.

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Dun Dun Dun!!! Wow, did I just leave you guys with a cliffy?! First time for everything I s'pose.

Next chapter is going to focus on Meiling and Ryo and their day out. Should be interesting…REVIEW!!

Chapter 10: Meiling's Challenge

Ryo and Meiling duke it out in friendly competition…but a lot of Pain is around the corner…


	10. Chapter 10: Meiling's Challenge

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

A/n: This chapter is happening in the same morning when Sakura and Syaoran are out training.

WARNING: Violence and rape references…you have been warned!

**Chapter 10: Meiling's Challenge**

Meiling lay on her side facing Ryo's sleeping form. She was leaning on her palm with her elbow in the pillow, just staring at the man in her bed. Her hair was released from her usual bun pigtails, and her long raven strands fanned out free on the bed.

She began tapping her fingernails on the mattress, thinking of the best way to wake Ryo up.

'_Hmm, let's see. I could poke him repeatedly…or tickle him, but I don't think he's ticklish…maybe I'll tackle him…'_ Meiling smiled evilly down at the oblivious Ryo.

Ryo was in a blissful sleep when something smelled like it was burning. His eyes shot open as he looked down at the sheets. The sheets were on fire! Before he knew it, someone knocked him off the bed.

Meiling was laughing uncontrollably from on top of the bed. She put out the fire, peering over the edge to look down on Ryo's prone form, her eyes twinkling with mischief. Just when she was about to get up, she felt a hand grip her wrist. Before she knew it, she was jerked down to the floor on top of Ryo's shaking body. He was laughing at her…he was laughing, and it was contagious; soon Meiling was laughing too.

"That was one helluva wake up call, Mei." Ryo pretended to complain, but soon burst into more laughter.

"Well, I'm just trying to keep things interesting." Meiling defended, with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Hey now, I'm not liking that look you're giving me…" Ryo didn't have a chance to finish his babbling before Meiling wrestled him to the ground and pinned him.

Ryo laughed at his soul mate's playfulness then kicked out of her pin. "Now you've done it…I declare war!" Ryo shouted in glee. He jumped Meiling, pinning her arms to the side and sitting on her legs. Before Meiling could blink, Ryo was attacking her sides in a ticklish fever. Meiling was a squirming mess, trying to buck him off, but gasping for breath in her laughter. Her cheeks were reddening as the blood rushed to her face.

"Do you give in?" Ryo taunted.

"N-Never!" Meiling fought to win. She did the only thing she could think of at the time to get out of this predicament. Due to their closeness, Meiling leaned up and planted a short kiss to Ryo's lips. This caused the effect Meiling wanted; Ryo was stunned, and his movements ceased.

She rolled him onto his back and placed her hands on either side of his head. Her long black hair fell around them in a dark curtain. Ryo's dark grey eyes locked onto Meiling's fiery red. His next question was enough to stun Meiling, for once.

"Be my girlfriend?" Ryo asked in a trance-like state. Meiling froze, and then giggled.

"What? Being soul mates isn't enough?" She teased affectionately.

Ryo smirked, but replied in all honesty. "Not for me."

"Well, if that's the case…" Meiling leaned down and locked lips with Ryo in a sweet chaste kiss. "…I s'pose I'll just have to agree to your terms, Miteki."

"Now that we're a couple, we should do what couples do best…" Ryo trailed off.

"And what would that be?" Meiling questioned suspiciously.

"Fight." Ryo answered nonchalantly. A broad smile crossed Meiling's lips, and she jumped to her feet pushing him out the door.

"Go get ready and meet me in the backyard in a few." Meiling ordered excitedly.

Meiling showered, and then snapped her fingers to dress herself. She wore her traditional fighting attire, consisting of long white billowing sleeves with gold trimming. The fighting kimono was cut short, allowing her long legs to be free. She wore white booty shorts underneath, for modesty's sake. It had a yin yang symbol in the center of the bodice, and the bodice and skirt were a brilliant red which brought out the color of her eyes. Her feet were adorned with comfortable red slippers with gold trimming. Finally, her hair was put into her regular bun pigtails with red ribbons in each.

(A/n: Her outfit is the same one in the anime when she goes searching for Clow Cards with Syaoran…go to google image search & type in "Meiling" and you'll see what I mean)

When she arrived in the backyard, she found Ryo stretching, his back to her. He hadn't noticed her arrival yet, so she aimed a kick to his mid thigh. Ryo sensed a sneak attack and quickly moved to the side. He spun around and took a fighting stance. Meiling smirked at his speed, taking a fighting stance as well.

"No warnings, huh?" Ryo asked teasingly.

"Straight up." Meiling replied shortly before launching another attack.

Ryo was on the defense as Meiling threw punch after punch. Ryo flipped backwards to escape the onslaught of fists. He dropped to the ground to trip Meiling; he succeeded, but she pulled a half handspring to regain her footing. When Ryo stood, he was greeted with a spinning heel kick to his temple, but he blocked it with his right arm. They jumped apart, both breathing heavily.

"So…you wanna step it up?" Meiling dared. Ryo simply smirked, understanding what she was talking about.

Meiling's eyes shimmered a bright fiery red as she accessed her element. Ryo was outlined in a dark grey hue as he too summoned his element.

Meiling lifted her arm, pointing at Ryo, and a spiral of flames shot toward Ryo intent to burn. Ryo created a metal shield to block it; however, the metal began to melt. Ryo smirked at that. He cut the shield down to melted slices and fired them back at Meiling with the speed of bullets. She raised both arms high above her head, and a wall of fire appeared before her. The temperature was so hot that none of Ryo's "bullets" made it through.

Ryo created a metal sword, running at Meiling with a battle cry. Meiling transfigured the fire wall into a fiery sword, and grabbed the hilt. Since Meiling is the bearer of Fire, she was not burned from the contact. She ran at Ryo with as much speed as she had. Their two swords clashed, and sparks flew. They both tried to push the other using pure strength alone, Ryo had the advantage.

They separated again, circling each other as if they were sharks. Meiling relinquished her sword for a more practical weapon. She lifted her hands in a fighting stance, and Ryo copied. However, Ryo sweat dropped when he saw what she was doing. Meiling concentrated her element into the nails of her fingers. '_Long fiery fingernails…hmm.'_

Ryo didn't have time to ponder that thought. Meiling leapt at Ryo, scratching at his face. Ryo dropped to his knees clutching his cheek. There was no laceration, but it burned like Hell!

"You weren't kidding when you said you wouldn't hold back." Ryo laughed, but winced when the pain in his cheek increased by his laughter.

Meiling's nails returned to normal, and she ran to Ryo's side. "I'm sorry, Ryo! Does it hurt?"

Ryo was about to tell her 'no,' but didn't have the chance. Meiling placed a soft kiss to his burning cheek, and when she moved away, the burn was gone.

"How did you do that?" Ryo was amazed.

"I burned your cheek, so I have the ability to remove the burn from your skin. I absorb the burn from the place it was inflicted, and use it as a power boost in my element. I can do that in a number of different ways…but I _had_ to kiss my boyfriend's ouchie." Meiling added the last part in a type of baby voice.

"That's an awesome technique, Mei! How'd ya learn it?" Ryo asked curiously.

"Well, it happened when I first tried out my element. I didn't know how to control it very well, and I…kinda scorched Sakura…the burn was pretty bad. I felt awful about it and figured 'I did this, so I should be able to undo this.' I walked up to Sakura and placed my hand on her burns. As soon as I made contact, the burn started to absorb into me." Meiling explained, remembering the pain she inflicted on her lifelong friend.

"It sure is useful!" Ryo tried to brighten her up. Meiling smiled at his effort.

They decided to take a break from sparring and laid down in the grass. Ryo was just about to tell Meiling the story of when Syaoran mistook a girl for a guy and was slapped silly when they heard a yell coming from inside the house. They went in to investigate.

"RYO?! HIIRAGIZAWA?!" Syaoran hollered, holding an unconscious Sakura.

"Dude, quit your yell…ing?" Ryo trailed off after seeing Sakura. "What the Hell happened, Syaoran?!" Meiling just walked in and rushed immediately to Sakura, taking her from Syaoran's arms and placing her on the futon.

"I'll explain, but first where's Eriol? He should hear this too." Syaoran said, looking for some sign of his cousin.

"Not sure, he and Tomoyo were gone when we woke up." Ryo explained. "Now tell me what happened!"

Meiling was placing a wet cloth on Sakura's forehead when Syaoran began his explanation.

"Jin Tai revealed himself to Sakura today." Syaoran began. Ryo was shaking with anger, and Meiling looked worried. Syaoran told them about the nightmare she had last night and the events that happened this morning.

"So the Jin Brothers are on the move, huh?" Ryo sounded pissed.

"Yeah, but I don't know the specifics of Sakura's dream. Jin Sai had to have helped Jin Tai in that department…" Syaoran growled.

"Damn it! Contact Eriol already, Syaoran!" Meiling shouted. "Get his ass here now!"

Syaoran nodded dumbly because he'd never been yelled at by Meiling before, and honest to God it scared him.

Syaoran closed his eyes and searched out Eriol's aura. When he found it, he sent a simple message, _'Jin Tai attacked Sakura, get your ass here now.'_ Afterwards, he broke connection.

"Hiiragizawa will be here shortly. When it comes to the Jin Brothers, he doesn't waste time." Syaoran explained.

Meiling excused herself and left for the kitchen while the boys continued their discussion. Meiling was livid pissed, she wanted to hunt these malicious brothers down herself and go pyro on their asses. She was visualizing many painful ways of killing these bastards when she suddenly felt ill.

There was a dark aura brushing against hers, and it sickened her. It made her feel dirty, unclean. She tried to push the evil aura away from her, but it was stronger…so much stronger.

Meiling gripped the countertop, trying to fight it off, but she was suddenly in a world of pain. She dropped to her knees, breathing erratically. It felt like she was being tortured from the inside, and she could do nothing to rid herself of it.

Her body felt like it was on fire, and she wasn't able to extinguish it! She was the sorceress of Fire, yet she couldn't end the pain. She couldn't explain it, couldn't distinguish why she was in so much pain…it was just there. She did the only thing she could, and it broke her completely, she screamed out her excruciating pain for all to hear.

"RYO!!! AAAHHHH!!! Somebody…please…HELP ME!!!" Meiling writhed on the floor in unbearable agony.

Syaoran and Ryo came barreling into the kitchen to witness Meiling being tortured. Ryo ran to Meiling and lifted her into his arms. She was flailing about and in tears…his strong-willed Meiling was in tears. Ryo found the source of her pain when he felt Jin Kai's aura tangled in hers. It was like Jin Kai was suffocating her with his presence.

Syaoran ran out the door to look around for the perpetrator, because they have to be near their victim to use their powers on them. He saw a shadowed figure and knew it was him, but he vanished when he spotted Syaoran.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Meiling had passed out from the pain. It was over, but the effects of what Jin Kai did to Meiling were now becoming visible.

At first, when Kai uses his power, he attacks the aura using whatever method of torture he wishes. Then, when Kai has ended his torture on his victim, the wounds become visible in the physical form.

Meiling was covered in cuts on her arms, bruising around her neck like she was being strangled and bruising along her upper thighs, and bite marks on her cheeks and her lips with blood pouring from both. Her clothing had been torn in various areas, such as the shoulder, stomach, and breasts.

"That bastard! He didn't just torture her…he tried to rape her spiritually!!" Ryo was far beyond pissed off. Syaoran couldn't believe that his cousin was subjected to the worst experience in her life.

"But he didn't actually rape her spirit, right? We stopped him before he could do more." Syaoran demanded, his fists at his sides were shaking.

"No, he didn't get that far, Syaoran. Thanks for stopping him." Ryo replied solemnly.

Ryo summoned his cloak and wrapped it around Meiling's battered body. He lifted her carefully and carried her into the living room. Syaoran created another futon for Ryo to place Meiling.

As soon as Ryo stood from laying her down, a booming voice echoed through the house.

"The HELL is going on!!!"

"SAKURA! MEILING!!"

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Poor Meiling! No worries, the rape did not happen. Let me explain…when two soul mates are bonded to each other, they become one in mind and _spirit_. If Jin Kai would have been successful in raping her spiritually, Ryo would never be able to bond with Meiling because her spirit would have been destroyed.

Pretty heavy stuff, huh?

Sorry for the cliffy, but they are just so much fun!! Please review! I need to stay motivated. I'm getting lots of hits on this story, but last chapter I only got 5 reviews…I'm happy and sad at the same time…C'mon guys, help me out!

Chapter 11: Tomoyo's Heart

Eriol and Tomoyo's day out


	11. Chapter 11: Tomoyo's Heart

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

A/n: The same morning as the previous couples…

**Chapter 11: Tomoyo's Heart**

She felt so warm and at peace; she didn't want to wake up. Tomoyo snuggled further into the safety of his strong arms. A deep chuckle resounded from his chest, and the movement was enough for Tomoyo to open one eye.

"What are you laughing at?" Tomoyo yawned, rolling flat on her back with her arm draped across her eyes.

"Nothing at all, _darling_." Eriol hid a Cheshire cat smile.

"Mmhmm, why don't I believe you?" Tomoyo asked suspiciously.

As an after thought, Tomoyo lifted her arm enough to peak at him and questioned, "Since when are pet names allowed in our quirky relationship?"

"Ah, so you admit we have a relationship." Eriol countered meticulously.

"Well I should hope so." Tomoyo sat up. "Otherwise, I'd have to question what the Hell you're doing in my bed." Eriol sat up as well.

He placed a finger to his chin, and pretended to be in deep thought. "Hmm…good question…Oh, wait! It's because you practically dragged me into your bed, away from a perfectly good futon, because you needed a full-sized teddy bear to snuggle in your sleep." Eriol folded his arms, sitting Indian style, with his eyes closed, nodding his head at his analysis.

Tomoyo rolled her eyes and slapped him with her pillow, causing Eriol to fall off the bed. He got to his knees and rested his elbows on the mattress, staring at Tomoyo in bewilderment.

"Did you just hit me…with a pillow?" Eriol asked, thinking it was the most ridiculous thing in the world.

"Well, my 'full-sized teddy bear' just wouldn't shut it." Tomoyo answered innocently, batting her eyelashes. She laughed at his expression, until she realized it was still dark outside. "Why are we even awake at this ungodly hour?"

"That's the beauty of it." Eriol explained, "We're going to go watch the sun rise."

A tired-eyed Tomoyo immediately sat up straight, her exhausted expression being replaced with a spark of excitement. She crawled over to where he was leaning on the mattress. When she reached her destination, she brushed his bangs out of his face.

"I would love that." Tomoyo whispered a breath away from his lips.

"I thought you might." Eriol whispered back, their breath mingling.

Eriol reached his hand up to her cheek, brushing his knuckles against her skin's smooth surface. Tomoyo shivered at his attention. The small distance was enclosed when Tomoyo leaned forward, kissing Eriol sweetly. When she broke the short kiss, her eyes were twinkling with mischief. Eriol never got a chance to ask before Tomoyo flipped over him, running for the door.

She gripped the doorframe, turning back to Eriol breathlessly. Eriol glanced over his shoulder from his spot by the bed to see the playfulness in Tomoyo's eyes.

"Hurry up, sir Gusto! You're gonna be late for the sunrise." When Eriol bolted for the door, Tomoyo 'eeped' and ran down the hall, still garbed in her pajamas. Eriol caught up to her and gripped her around the waist. She was giggling as Eriol spun her around the room.

"Come along, dear, we really must be going." Eriol joked, carrying her out the front door.

He summoned his element and uplifted them into the air. Eriol slowly allowed Tomoyo to stand next to him, but she grabbed his waist and closed her eyes tightly immediately after seeing how high up they were.

"Calm down, Tomoyo. I won't let you fall." Eriol reassured, but the hold Tomoyo had around him did not lessen. She could feel the burst of wind pushing them into the air against her bare feet. Eriol propelled the wind to carry them to the small lake within Tomoeda Park.

Tomoyo slowly opened her frightened eyes and looked up to Eriol. Eriol was looking straight ahead toward their destination, keeping his concentration locked. Tomoyo slowly released the bone-crushing hold she had on him, gaining his attention.

"Are you alright now?" Eriol asked worriedly.

"Yes, I'm fine. Do me a favor and warn me the next time you pull a stunt like that." Tomoyo half-heartedly glared at him. She let her eyes settle on the amazing view she was given. Eriol heard her gasp, and he was silently congratulating himself for his brilliance.

When they arrived at Tomoeda Park, Eriol lowered them back to the ground in front of a bench facing out toward a sparkling lake. They made it in time because the sun was just beginning to rise above the horizon.

Eriol guided Tomoyo to the bench, sitting side by side. Her legs were curled up on the bench as she leaned into Eriol's chest, staring out into the distance. Eriol wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her further into him. They sat together in silence, gazing into the beautiful orange glow. Tomoyo smiled when the warmth of the sun touched her face.

"Thank you, Eriol. This is absolutely wonderful." Tomoyo smiled up to him. Eriol returned her smile with one of his own.

"It was no problem. The difficult part was waking you up." Eriol snickered.

"Why was that so hard?" Tomoyo asked, clearly confused.

Eriol started ticking off the many methods on his hand, "I tried poking you, tickling you, jumping on the bed…"

"You did no such thing." Tomoyo slapped his chest playfully.

"I know, but _if_ I ever did try to wake you up, those are the ways I'd go about doing it." Eriol teased. Tomoyo giggled at his humor.

She stood up after a while, pulling Eriol along with her. They walked toward the small lake. Tomoyo sat at its edge, dipping her feet into its cool morning water. She sighed in contentment, but she wanted so much more.

"Care for a morning dip, Eriol?" Tomoyo asked timidly.

Eriol looked down at her, his face full of confusion. She simply snapped her fingers and donned a light purple one-piece swimsuit. Before Eriol knew what was happening, Tomoyo stood and dove into the lake's depths. When she resurfaced, Eriol was a gawking idiot.

"C'mon Eriol, get in the water." Tomoyo giggled, splashing at him. Eriol simply transformed his pajamas into swimming trunks and jumped into the water, splashing Tomoyo back tenfold.

When he resurfaced, he was shivering. Tomoyo swam over to him, holding him close, her eyes alit with power. Eriol looked down questioningly when the water warmed up immensely.

"My element, remember?" Tomoyo winked.

Eriol went to grab her, but she was quick and ducked out of his reach. She dove under water, and Eriol was waiting for her to return. Suddenly something grabbed his foot and yanked him down further into the lake's depths. When he opened his eyes, everything was blurry. His attacker was none other than Tomoyo, and she was smiling in victory. Eriol opened his mouth to laugh, but inhaled a lot of water. He was about to swim for the surface when Tomoyo grabbed hold of him.

Eriol looked at her like she was crazy…he needed air _now_…but Tomoyo pulled him into a long passionate kiss. Suddenly, air didn't matter all that much. When she pulled away, Eriol remembered the need for air. Tomoyo shook her head and made breathing motions. She was breathing in the water, wanting Eriol to do the same.

Eriol followed her instructions and breathed in the water. Tomoyo smiled at the astonished expression Eriol was donning. He couldn't believe how much control Tomoyo had over her element, returning her smile.

Tomoyo launched further down into the lake's bottom. Eriol followed after her, giving chase. He stopped, just observing her grace. She twisted and twirled around in the current, her hair fanned out around her. She looked like an underwater ballerina. Upon further observation, Eriol realized how peaceful she looked. He swam closer to her, pulling her into his embrace, she returned it gently.

When she pulled away, her amethyst eyes were shimmering with excitement. There were so many things she wanted to share with him. She held her hands slightly apart, fingers barely touching. She created a small whirlpool in her palms, releasing it to float away. Tomoyo created so many wonderful things, sharing her secrets with Eriol.

Distracting him with dolphins made from bubbles, Tomoyo sent a strong current Eriol's way. The current picked Eriol up and pulled him under the water like a rollercoaster, Tomoyo creating the twists and turns. Eriol was laughing joyfully, looking to Tomoyo, who was lifting her arms in the direction she wanted him to travel. She had a pleasant smile on her lips. When Eriol was released from his amusement ride, he swam back to Tomoyo, and they swam up to the surface together.

Once they broke the surface, Tomoyo began swimming toward the lake's edge, Eriol following soon after. They climbed out of the water and laid in the lush grass, both breathing heavily.

"That was…exhilarating, Tomoyo!" Eriol laughed carefree, staring up into the blue sky. It must have been late in the morning by now.

Tomoyo turned her head, so she was facing Eriol, giggling at the joy she seemed to gift him with. "Yes, it was."

Eriol turned to face her, their bodies so close to the touch. He was about to reach out toward her when he was assaulted with a raging message, _'Jin Tai attacked Sakura, get your ass here now.'_ His features that were once so full of happiness and joy, suddenly darkened into that of anger and rage, scaring Tomoyo.

"E-Eriol? What's wrong?" Tomoyo asked worriedly. Eriol stood to his feet, pulling Tomoyo up with him, holding her unnaturally close. His eyes searched the park for any suspicious figures.

Tomoyo didn't know why he was acting so possessive, but it was frightening her. "Please Eriol, you're scaring me." She whimpered.

Eriol rested his hardened midnight blue eyes on her, and they softened. "Tomoyo, I'm sorry, but we need to get back to the house now."

"What's going on, Eriol." Tomoyo asked cautiously, fearful of the answer.

"Syaoran just contacted me. He said that Jin Tai has just attacked Sakura. We need to get back _now_." Eriol quickly explained. Tomoyo's scared features suddenly transformed into worry and anger.

Eriol pulled Tomoyo into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm going to get us home quickly. Whatever you do, do NOT let go of me." At the feel of her nod, Eriol summoned the wind.

It came at them in an angry howl, wrapping around them and forming a tornado. This whirlwind traveled quickly over the ground in the direction of the house. Tomoyo's hold on Eriol tightened once more, her eyes squeezed shut. In minutes they arrived at the quaint home.

The wind dissipated, and Eriol clasped hands with Tomoyo as they ran to the house. Upon their arrival, they saw Ryo placing a beaten up Meiling on a futon next to an unconscious Sakura.

Eriol couldn't detain his anger any further. "The HELL is going on!!!"

Tomoyo yanked her hand out of Eriol's grasp and ran tearfully to her friends. "SAKURA! MEILING!!"

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Wow, I'm getting real good at these cliffies, aren't I??? Thank you so much for your reviews! Remember, if you have any questions feel free to ask! Those are my favorite kind of reviews!!

Chapter 12: Vanished!

Ryo and Syaoran explain to Eriol what's been going on, while Tomoyo looks after the girls…but something's not quite right…WATCH OUT TOMOYO!!!


	12. Chapter 12: Vanished!

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

A/n: tomoyo-amethyst asked if the couples were bonded yet, and the answer is no. The bonding happens in its own time, it cannot be forced. The couples have to get unbelievably close to each other (i.e. love). When they confess their love for each other, their auras will entwine (kinda wraps around the other, symbolizing their bond). That's when they'll know it's time to consummate their relationship (i.e. make love). The Jin Bros. want the girls for themselves, so they're trying to delay this process.

If there are any other questions, I'll be happy to answer them

BTW: No, Eriol and Tomoyo are not still in their swim suits…sorry, forgot that little detail in the last chapter, eh heh…

**Chapter 12: Vanished!**

_Hiding in an Alleyway_:

"Well done, Jin Kai, but couldn't you find another way of detaining the girl without attempting spiritual rape?" Jin Sai chuckled darkly.

"My apologies, brother, but she certainly is a firecracker. I had to step it up in order for her to faint from my pain." Jin Kai bowed in submission.

"Two girls down and one to go. What will you do Sai?" Jin Tai asked snidely.

"Just leave that to me. You both need to make preparations at the castle. I will meet you there when I've finished." Sai ordered.

Kai and Tai dropped to one knee, heads bowed with a fist pressed against their chests. "Yes brother." They each disappeared from sight.

_At the House_:

Eriol chanced a worried glance at Tomoyo before ushering Syaoran and Ryo into another room. Tomoyo was already broken up at seeing her closest friends in such an unbearable state that he didn't want to add more weight to her crushed heart.

They walked down the hall into the room he shared with Tomoyo the previous night. Syaoran sat on the unmade bed, resting his head in his hands. Ryo pulled up a chair, sitting backwards on it, resting his arms on top of the frame and laying his head on his arms. Eriol chose to lean against the wall, one leg pressed against the wall and arms crossed, eyes closed and brows furrowed.

"Explain." Eriol's voice was deadly calm as he ordered one of the two to begin.

"I have reason to believe Jin Tai and Jin Sai combined their powers to plant a nightmare in Sakura's dreams. She was torn up when I woke her, she wasn't very coherent. Then, later in the morning, we went out to train. Jin Tai appeared bringing the nightmare Sakura had last night to life in front of her. She fainted, and I brought her back here." Syaoran quickly clarified.

"Meiling and I were here when Syaoran started yelling our names. We saw the state Sakura was in and asked Syaoran what had happened. Meiling went off, and demanded that Syaoran contact you…that's when you got his message."

At Eriol's nod, he continued, "Meiling went into the kitchen while Syaoran and I spoke. Next thing we knew, Meiling was screaming in excruciating pain…it was Jin Kai…h-he attempted to spiritually rape her…" Ryo whispered the last part, his rage slowly building up.

"And that's when you showed up." Syaoran finished for Ryo.

Eriol let the events of today wash over him, trying to contain his anger. He glanced up at his comrades, his eyes hardened and seething.

"We take this fight to them." Eriol whispered dangerously, gaining the attention of his friends. "Their strategy is to target the girls, but my question is why? Why attack the one's that they desire?"

"It's not that difficult to understand, Hiiragizawa." Syaoran answered, "Everything they do is to stop the bonding. Now that we've actually found our soul mates, they're under pressure because the bonding could happen at any time."

"What if attacking the girls was only the first phase of their plan? Maybe there's a bigger picture…" Ryo muttered.

"You mean something we won't see coming?" Syaoran asked uncertainly.

Eriol unfolded his arms and pushed away from the wall in sudden realization. "They needed the girls to be in an unconscious state, that's when they'll strike…we need to get back into the living room before…" but Eriol was cut off by a horrific scream, Tomoyo's scream.

The men bolted out the bedroom door, down the hallway, and into the living room. But they were not prepared for what they were about to see.

_A Couple Minutes Prior…In the Living Room_:

Tomoyo was bustling about in a panicked frenzy. She placed two fresh wet cloths to her friends' foreheads and fluffed the pillows under their heads. Once she was sure of their comfort, she rushed to the bathroom to grab bandages, rubbing alcohol, and tape to begin treating Meiling's wounds. Tears traveled down her pale cheeks as she cleaned the many cuts adorning her friend's body.

'_I'm sure Meiling will be able to heal herself much better once she comes to.'_ Tomoyo reassured herself.

When she'd finished, Tomoyo snapped her fingers, changing Meiling's torn up clothes into athletic shorts and a red tanktop. Another snap of her fingers and two blankets appeared. She tucked her two friends in and sat silently on the floor, waiting for them to awaken.

Tomoyo allowed her thoughts to wander, not noticing when Sakura and Meiling began to stir. Sakura and Meiling sat up in unison, their eyes void of all emotion. Hearing the blankets rustle, Tomoyo lifted her head. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes in happiness that her dear friends had awakened.

"Mei! 'Kura! I'm so glad you're both alright!" Tomoyo ran to embrace the two.

When she didn't feel them return her hug, she pulled back to look into their faces. What she _didn't_ see frightened her. They were expressionless, almost zombie-like. They looked so lost and out of place of their usual character.

"H-Hey, what's the matter you guys?" Tomoyo stuttered.

"It is time to go home, Tomoyo." Sakura's monotonous voice startled her.

"What are you talking about? We are home." Tomoyo asked timidly.

"They wait for us. We must leave now." Meiling said just as blandly.

Meiling's arm shot out and grabbed Tomoyo's wrist in a bruising hold, it caused Tomoyo to cry out. When Sakura reached out to do the same, Tomoyo did the only thing she could think of.

"ERIOL!!!" Tomoyo screamed with all the air in her lungs.

She heard their thunderous feet beat against the wooden floor in their pursuit to get to her in time. Her eyes sought his midnight blue, and she saw an emotion in his eyes of which she'd never seen before...

Tomoyo felt a sudden pain and then everything went black. The seemingly possessed Meiling landed a blow to her neck, knocking Tomoyo out cold.

Eriol ran to her, but he was pushed back by a flaming wall, erected by Meiling.

"What are you doing, Meiling?!" Ryo shouted in desperation.

Meiling turned slightly to face him through the fire. "We are going home. Do not try to stop us." Her voice was quiet and controlled, nothing like what he'd come to expect from Meiling.

"They are waiting for us. We must not delay them." Sakura droned on.

"It's Jin Sai's power of Manipulation." Eriol hissed. "He's taken control of Sakura and Meiling's minds."

Syaoran was shaking in fury. "Sakura! Break out of his control! You can do it…you have the strength! Don't let him win!!!" Syaoran shouted through the fire.

Sakura turned toward Syaoran, her blank stare sizing him up. "Please Sakura! Fight him!!"

"Don't give up, Meiling!" Ryo joined in the attempt. "You promised me you'd stay!"

Sakura and Meiling fumbled in their movements. It was enough for Syaoran and Ryo to know they were getting through to them.

"You told me you wanted freedom! Freedom to choose, freedom to love, freedom to live…ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU SAID?!" Ryo bellowed. "Don't let him dictate you!!"

Meiling's vision cleared after remembering that powerful memory, and she could finally take control over her body again. Her ruby eyes sought out his smoky grey, and tears came to her eyes. She dropped to her knees, clawing at the wooden floor in her agony, both emotionally and physically.

"Sakura, remember what you told me when we first met?" Syaoran asked calmly. "You said 'He shouldn't have been able to touch me.' Doesn't that apply now? Jin Sai should NOT be able to get near you. Do you remember why?" Syaoran bated, holding his breath.

Sakura's eyes flashed bright emerald. "That's what manly men are for. It's your job to save the day." Sakura lifted her head in a bright smile, looking longingly toward Syaoran.

"I'm so sorry, Syaoran! Please forgive me!!" Sakura begged from her side of the fiery wall.

Syaoran whispered, "There's nothing to forgive, Sakura. You did nothing wrong."

Meiling waved off the wall of fire, and the guys came running to their girlfriends. Ryo scooped Meiling into his arms, and let her cry into his chest. Syaoran pulled Sakura into his embrace, and she mumbled thousands of apologies that were unfounded. Eriol lifted the unconscious Tomoyo from the floor and held her in his shaking arms.

'_If Syaoran and Ryo didn't get through to Sakura and Meiling…I would have lost you.'_ Eriol thought to himself.

"You can't…get rid of me that…easily." Tomoyo whispered in choked words. She was in tears, looking into Eriol's magnificent blue eyes.

"But…how? How did you know what I was thinking?" Eriol asked perplexed.

Tomoyo smiled up to him, "I love you too, Eriol."

Eriol was about to interrupt, but Tomoyo shushed him by pressing two fingers to his lips.

"Before I was knocked out, I saw an emotion in your eyes…one I've never seen directed at me before. You were worried and scared, but you mostly feared that you would never be able to tell me your true feelings." Tomoyo caressed his cheek. "Love was in your eyes, Eriol. The kind of look you would give your lover."

"I do love you, Tomoyo, with all my heart." Eriol stared deeply into her tearful amethyst eyes.

"I know you do, that's why the bonding has begun." Tomoyo pulled his head down for a sweet, yet passionate kiss. It was a kiss meant to convey every feeling burning in their soul. As their kiss continued, their auras were slowly wrapping around each other. It was almost complete when Tomoyo forcefully pushed Eriol away.

Eriol slid across the wooden floor, but immediately got up, looking to Tomoyo with hurt eyes. Tomoyo shakily got to her feet, but something was not right in her mannerisms, they seemed forced.

"E-Eriol…I c-can't control…my body." Tomoyo jerked with the effort to fight whatever invaded her body. The hurt look in Eriol's eyes changed dramatically into worry, anger, and determination.

Sakura and Meiling gasped in shock. It was Jin Sai, they were sure of it. Syaoran and Ryo wrapped their arms around their girlfriends in a protective manner in case one of the Jin Brothers had any thoughts of attacking.

"Tomoyo! Don't let him control you!" Eriol guided.

"I'm sorry, Eriol…I'm sorry I can't be…strong." Tomoyo whispered weakly, her body being forced to unleash her element. She launched a wave of water at her lover and friends, but Eriol dispelled it with a wave of his arm, sending a powerful gust of wind to block the attack.

"HAHAHAHA! WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW YOU LI-CLAN REJECTS?!" A sickening voice boomed through the house.

"Jin Sai…" Eriol growled.

"Hey asshole! Last time I checked it was you and your brothers that got their asses thrown out of the clan! So I'd watch who you called a reject!!!" Syaoran countered.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN PROTECT THESE GIRLS FROM ME?" Jin Sai mocked. "THEY WILL BE OURS!"

The girls were forced away from their boyfriends in a harsh manner. Jin Sai had taken control over Sakura and Meiling's body as well. Before the boys could make a move towards the girls, they were being teleported.

Sakura's eyes held fear as she looked toward Syaoran. Her body was engulfed in a whirlwind of flowers.

"Syaoran, help me!"

Meiling's eyes held sorrow as she locked gazes with Ryo. Her body was surrounded by a whirlwind of flames.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be strong, Ryo."

Tomoyo's eyes held regret as she stared longingly at her almost-bonded lover, Eriol. Her body was encased in a whirlpool of water.

"I love only you, Eriol."

Their final words echoed in the men's ears, and they vanished out of sight.

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So, how was that??? I decided to take this story in a different direction. I hope you all enjoyed it! Tomoyo, Meiling, and Sakura have been abducted by Jin Sai. Tomoyo and Eriol were in the process of being bonded & Jin Sai has to go and mess it all up…go figure…

Promise to review and I'll promise to update…if you don't review, I don't update. Sounds fair, right?? I just like hearing your opinions, thoughts, and questions so please continue to review.

Chapter 13: Torture & Lies

What will the Jin Bros. do now that they have the girls in their possession…? Oh boy, I sure hope the guys find them quick…


	13. Chapter 13: Torture and Lies

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

**Chapter 13: Torture and Lies**

_Jin Bros. Castle_: Location Unknown

Jin Kai and Jin Tai waited impatiently for their brother's return. Sai was quite secretive about his plan to attack the final girl, but they knew better than to question his motives. Jin Kai was crouched low to the ground, balancing on his heels. Jin Tai stood tall, his arms crossed over his chest in annoyance.

"How much longer will he make us wait, Kai?!" Jin Tai bellowed angrily.

"Patience, dear brother, or else I will not give you your gift." Jin Sai crept from the shadows.

"Brother Sai." Jin Kai and Jin Tai dropped to their knee in salute.

"I have something that belongs to each of you." Sai laughed cruelly. "EARTH, APPEAR!!" Sakura was summoned in a whirlwind of flowers.

"You now belong to Jin Tai. MOVE!" Sai ordered. Sakura stiffly marched to Jin Tai, trying to reject the movement of her body. Her large green eyes held great fear, and Tai licked his lips in anticipation. When she arrived by his side, he gripped her arm harshly, causing her to wince in pain.

"FIRE, APPEAR!!" Sai commanded. Meiling was summoned in a whirlwind of flames. Jin Sai simply lifted his arm and pointed at Jin Kai, and Meiling had no choice but to follow his silent order.

Kai did not wait for her to reach his side. He rushed forward to meet her and slapped her sharply across her face. Meiling remained stubborn and refused to show him weakness. Sakura, however, burst into tears at the sight.

"You _will_ forget about that trash, Miteki. You _will_ love me and be mine, only mine!" Kai spat in her face. Meiling remained silent, glaring heatedly at her abductor.

"Now, now Kai. Don't damage the goods before you use them." Jin Tai laughed manically. Sakura looked up at him in disgust, praying for Syaoran to rescue her.

"WATER, APPEAR!!" Sai demanded. Tomoyo was summoned in a whirlpool of water. She looked broken and defeated. "What ails you, dearest? You should be _happy_ I _rescued_ you from those delinquents." Sai manipulated her mind.

Tomoyo's once distraught expression was washed away, along with any emotion possible. She became a slave to her own mind. "Yes, I'm grateful."

"That's what I thought. I knew you _loved_ only me." Sai smirked.

"Only you." Tomoyo repeated.

Meiling shouted from a distance in a desperate attempt at saving her best friend's conscience. "NO! You love Eriol! You have to remember, 'Moyo!!" Kai snapped his fingers and Meiling was writhing in pain.

"E-Eriol?" Tomoyo stuttered, trying to regain her memory.

"Nothing but _lies_, dearest. She is trying to _deceive_ you." Sai guided Tomoyo out of the courtyard by her shoulders and lead her to their room.

"Nothing but lies…deception…" Tomoyo muttered.

"Yes, now let's retire. You need your rest for tomorrow's bonding." Sai cajoled Tomoyo.

When Tomoyo disappeared from sight, Sakura shook with trepidation. Although she had complete control over her movements when Jin Sai gave her to Jin Tai, she simply could not bring herself to move. She was so scared.

"Your fear feeds my power, and it is simply delectable." Jin Tai smirked in victory.

"Y-you w-won't succeed in y-your plan. Syaoran will come." Sakura stuttered, but her eyes held defiance.

"No, he will not come. Do you wish to know why?" Tai taunted evilly. "He has given up on you. He had so many opportunities to save you, but he didn't." Sakura shook her head in disbelief.

Jin Tai summoned his power of Fear and brought what he said to life.

Sakura's eyes widened. Syaoran stood before her, his expression looked annoyed.

"What? You want me to save your sorry ass again? You're too much trouble…urgh, Jin Tai can have you! Who wants to be bonded to a damsel in distress?!" Syaoran turned his back on Sakura and disappeared from view.

Tears sprung to Sakura's eyes. She really was pathetic, wasn't she? Since the moment they met, she's been nothing but trouble for him. It must be so exhausting to put up with her…he won't come, and she wouldn't blame him for it.

Jin Tai smirked evilly, dragging Sakura to their chambers.

Meiling did not witness Sakura and Jin Tai's interaction because she was being tortured unceremoniously. She knew Jin Kai was trying to break her spirit, forcing her to forget and become submissive. Tears built up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She would not give Jin Kai the satisfaction. When the pain became too unbearable, Meiling passed out.

"This one will be a challenge…one I will enjoy breaking." Jin Kai whispered dangerously.

He hauled her body over his shoulder, carrying her to their bedroom.

_Jin Sai's Bedroom_:

Sai opened the door leading into his dark bedroom. The curtains were painted pure black, and they were moth-eaten. The only furnishing in his bedroom was the king-sized bed; the sheets were velvet black.

Sai guided Tomoyo toward the bed where he sat her down on the edge.

"Now, dearest, I have much work to complete before tomorrow's bonding. You are _not_ to leave this room, understood?" Jin Sai spoke to her as if she were a small child.

"I understand." Tomoyo replied lifelessly.

"That's my girl." Jin Sai leaned in and kissed her forcefully, bruising her lips. When he broke the one-sided kiss, he strode out of the room, locking the door behind him.

When Tomoyo was sure she was completely alone, she wiped her mouth, ridding herself of Jin Sai's disgusting after taste. Then, she dashed to the window to look around at her surroundings. Unknown to Jin Sai, Tomoyo hadn't been under his mind manipulation since Meiling mentioned Eriol. Tomoyo had simply pretended, not letting him know the truth.

'The only way out of here is to contact Eriol, but I'm not sure it will work. Jin Sai interrupted the union of our auras, but I can still feel him. I've got to try.' Tomoyo encouraged herself.

She closed her eyes, envisioning Eriol's beautiful blue eyes, his warm smile, his strength.

'_Eriol…'_

_At The House_:

It's been an hour since the girls disappeared, and the boys were taking the loss hard. They were spread out in the living room, refusing to leave the spot they were at when the abduction occurred.

Syaoran stood, his back facing the others and hands clenched into fists at his side. He bowed his head, allowing his shaggy brown bangs to hide the hurt in his eyes.

'_Syaoran, help me!'_

'Why couldn't I do something? She was begging me to save her, just like I promised I would! I promised her that those assholes would never touch her!' Syaoran thought angrily to himself.

Ryo knelt on the ground in the exact spot where he held Meiling's crying form. He just couldn't lead himself to believe that she was truly gone.

'_I'm sorry I couldn't be strong, Ryo.'_

'Why would she apologize? Nothing that happened was her fault…I'm to blame…I was supposed to protect her, but I practically handed her over to Jin Kai himself!' Ryo thought guiltily.

Eriol sat on the wood floor, knees bent and legs spread, resting his arms on his knees with his head drooping. He stared furiously down at the floor.

'_I love only you, Eriol.'_

'I will get you back, Tomoyo. He will not have you.' Eriol stood from the ground, powerful gusts of wind swirling around his rigid body. Syaoran and Ryo were torn from their thoughts at the sheer force of Eriol's prowess.

"It's time." Eriol ordered his eyes as cold as ice. "We've tracked them before, we can do it…"

'_Eriol…'_

"TOMOYO!" Eriol shouted out loud. Ryo and Syaoran shared blank looks, and turned their questioning eyes on Eriol.

"Tomoyo contacted me." Eriol hurriedly explained. Ryo and Syaoran watched intently, hoping Tomoyo would say where she and the girls were at.

'_I'm here, Tomoyo.'_ Eriol closed his eyes, concentrating on Tomoyo.

'_Thank God. I didn't know if this would work…I'm so scared Eriol." _ Tomoyo whimpered.

'_It'll be alright, we'll find you. You just need to tell me where you are.'_ Eriol calmed her.

'_We're in some castle…I-I don't know the location.'_ Tomoyo answered sulkily.

'_You're at Jin Castle. We know where you're at! We've had many confrontations with the Jin Brothers there.'_ Eriol was ecstatic that they had an exact pinpoint on where those scoundrels took the girls.

'_Eriol, you have to get here quickly. They are going to perform some kind of forced bonding ceremony tomorrow morning! He left me alone because he's making preparations. He thinks I'm under his mind control, but I'm pretending.'_ Tomoyo rushed her explanation.

"What's going on, Hiiragizawa?!" Syaoran interrupted. "Where are they? How are they?!"

Eriol simply put up a hand to halt Syaoran, and he quieted.

'_How are you and the girls holding up?'_ Eriol asked worriedly.

'_Nothing horrible has happened to me, but…Meiling is being attacked brutally by Jin Kai, and Sakura is being fed lies by Jin Tai.'_ Tomoyo replied tearfully. _'They've separated us. Meiling's being tortured until she breaks, and Sakura is buying into the lies.'_

Eriol gritted his teeth, and Ryo and Syaoran took notice.

'_Just keep up your charade, so Jin Sai doesn't suspect anything. I'll contact you when the time is right. Just wait for my call.'_ Eriol instructed carefully.

'_Please be careful, Eriol. I'd die if anything happened to you.'_ Tomoyo sobbed.

'_The feeling is mutual, darling. I love you, Tomoyo.'_ Eriol smiled, feeling the warmth of her aura fill him.

'_I love you, too.' _ Tomoyo smiled, enjoying the sensation of his aura wrapped around her. _'I must go before he returns.'_

'_Remember what I've told you.'_ Eriol reminded.

'_I will. I'll see you when you get here.'_ Tomoyo broke the connection.

Eriol opened his eyes, and faced his comrades. Seeing the look of anticipation and nervousness on their faces almost crushed Eriol, but they needed to know.

"They took the girls to the Jin Castle. They've separated the girls, but at a price." Eriol paused in his explanation.

"What price? What are you talking about, Eriol." Ryo asked anxiously.

"Meiling is being tortured into submission, Ryo." Eriol maintained eye contact, and then turned toward Syaoran.

"Sakura is being fed lies, probably lies about you Syaoran." Syaoran looked beyond pissed.

"They are preparing for a forced bonding ceremony set for tomorrow morning." Eriol finished his horrible explanation.

"We can't waste any time." Ryo shook with hatred for Jin Kai.

"We'll teleport. It'll be faster." Syaoran quipped.

They each nodded their head in agreement. Ryo surrounded himself in a metal cocoon and faded away. Syaoran disappeared in a gathering of leaves and roots. Eriol engulfed himself in a strong breathtaking whirlwind.

The men set off, prepared to fight for their rightful soul mates. However, they were unprepared for what awaited them once they arrived.

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I just want to let you all know that school starts up for me next Thursday, so updates will be getting fewer and fewer. I'm also going to my hometown for my niece's birthday this weekend, but I'll try and get the next chapter up before I leave.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! I never would have thought this story would get so much praise. Thank you all for proving me wrong!!

Chapter 14: Fight

Rescue mission underway…


	14. Chapter 14: Fight

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

**Chapter 14: Fight**

_Jin Castle Courtyard_:

After depositing the girls in separate bedrooms, the Jin Brothers regrouped in the dank courtyard to review their plans for the morning.

"Excellent, everything is going according to plan." Jin Sai smirked dangerously. "I have Water completely under my control. Have the others been subdued as well?"

"I've brought several of Earth's fears to life that she has nearly no hope left." Jin Tai laughed evilly. "By morning, she will be mine."

"Let's just say that the fire in Fire's eyes is dimming. She'll be tame come morning." Jin Kai assured with a dark gleam in his eyes.

"Will we need to worry about those Li-Clan rejects?" Tai narrowed his eyes at the mere thought of them.

"Why should we? They have no idea where we've taken the girls. I don't see _them_ as a threat to us." Sai brushed off Tai's tedious question.

"They won't be ours completely, but after tomorrow they won't be able to bond with anyone." Jin Kai referred to the girls.

The Jin Brothers cannot legitimately bond with another's soul mate. They plan to force their own bonding by means of consummation. If the girls are no longer pure, they will never be able to bond with their destined soul mate.

"True, but beggars can't be choosers." Sai spoke in a cliché manner.

"Tell me again…why can't we just take them tonight?!" Jin Kai demanded spitefully.

"We need to wait until they are overcome with doubts. By morning, they will be ours." Tai rolled his eyes at Kai's eagerness.

Jin Sai slinked off while Tai explained to Kai. 'Time for some fun…'

_Outside of Jin Castle_:

Eriol, Syaoran, and Ryo arrived in a storm of anger a quarter of a mile away from the castle. They were hidden in the shadows of the forest's tree line. Syaoran fought to maintain his control so as not to go rushing in blindly to save Sakura.

"What's the plan, Hiiragizawa?" Syaoran whispered harshly.

"First we need to find a way into the castle unnoticed." Eriol's meticulous midnight blue eyes scoured the fringes of the castle's walls.

"What if Syaoran used his element to make a ladder leading up into that top tower's window?" Ryo suggested.

Eriol narrowed his eyes to examine the tower's window. A shadow passed by the window, and Eriol jerked in shock. The shadow had a very feminine outline. _'It has to be one of the girls, but how do we find out which one?'_

"One of the girls is up in that tower." Eriol spoke quietly. Syaoran and Ryo's eyes narrowed immediately on the feminine figure.

Syaoran's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's Sakura!"

Eriol glanced at his comrade unsure. "How do you know?"

"Tomoyo and Meiling both have long hair. Sakura is the only one with shorter hair. That's her!" Syaoran emphasized.

Eriol nodded at his logic and confirmed that it was indeed Sakura. "Syaoran will climb the wall using roots into that tower's window." Eriol gripped Syaoran's upper arm to stall him. He then proceeded to whisper harshly, "Remember, Syaoran, she has been fed lies about you. Sakura may not believe that you are real. You have to convince her."

Syaoran simply nodded and took off toward the castle. When he was almost half way there, Eriol and Ryo shifted their gaze back up to the castle's windows.

"What now, Eriol?" Ryo asked calmly.

"I will lift you and me up onto the castle's roof. We will then proceed to enter, but once inside…we split up in search of Tomoyo and Meiling." At Ryo's nod, they took off in a run toward the castle.

When they arrived at the castle's walls, they saw Syaoran climbing his vines to the tower's window. Eriol shifted his glance up to the sky, lifting his arms, palms up. The wind blew furiously, pushing Eriol and Ryo up into the sky. When they were parallel to the castle's roof, he directed the wind to push them closer. Ryo jumped onto the roof, soon followed by Eriol.

They ran down the stairwell with haste. Arriving in a long corridor, Eriol locked gazes with Ryo; they nodded to each other and split in different directions. They had to be careful to keep quiet, sneaking around the castle's halls.

_With Syaoran_:

'Almost there…' Syaoran gritted his teeth as he hauled his toned body through the window. Once his feet were planted on the stone ground, his gaze locked onto Sakura, her back facing him. She seemed to be shivering slightly, but he didn't know why. Syaoran strained his ears to listen to her muttering to herself.

"No…that can't be right…why do I feel his aura so close…? It must be my imagination…he won't come…he said he wouldn't come…" Sakura doubted.

'That bastard brainwashed _my_ Sakura!' Syaoran thought angrily. 'I'll have to approach her cautiously…it would do no good to draw attention to this room.'

"Sakura…" Syaoran tested the waters, and her back stiffened.

She slowly turned around to see another version of Syaoran. Syaoran cringed from the look in her eyes. She was terrified.

"Why must you torment me? You've made it perfectly clear that I'm no more than a burden…I got the message." Sakura whispered sorrowfully. "You've given me away already…besides, who wants to be bonded to a damsel in distress, anyways…?"

Syaoran felt a jolt of sadness at her words. 'This is what he's done to you? Sakura…'

"It's just one thing after another with me…" Sakura muttered depressingly.

"Only keeps things interesting." Syaoran stared longingly into Sakura's eyes. Sakura stiffened at his words.

She remembered a time when she felt like such a burden to Syaoran. He was carrying her back to the house because her ankle was twisted…

"No…I won't let you torture me anymore. You can't use my memories against me this time Jin Tai." Sakura shook her head; her eyes squeezed shut with tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

"I am not a figment of Jin Tai's creation, Sakura." Syaoran reached out for her. "It is the _real_ me, and I've come to rescue you." Syaoran wrapped his arms around her shoulders, causing her to gasp. "Now that I've found you, I won't let you go."

"Y-You c-c-can touch m-me?" Sakura stuttered frightened.

"I can do many things, Sakura." Syaoran leaned down, pressing his lips to her quivering pink lips.

Sakura didn't move, she was too shocked to realize what was happening. When Syaoran became more insistent that she respond, Sakura closed her eyes, adding pressure to his lips as well. Syaoran smiled into their kiss.

Syaoran was first to break their kiss, tucking her into his chest and resting his chin on her head. Sakura placed her ear to his heart to listen to the rhythmic beats, and her eyes widened when she felt the light thumps of his heart.

"It's really you…" Sakura whispered brokenly, tears gathering in her emerald eyes.

"It's me." Syaoran reassured, rubbing slow circles on her back to calm her down.

"Why did you come? He said you wouldn't…why?" Sakura sounded so drained.

"I'd always come for you. Never forget that." Syaoran lifted her chin with the tips of his fingers. "I always return to the one's I love."

Sakura's eyes shook in disbelief. "You love…me?"

"I love you, Sakura." Syaoran confirmed, a smile gracing his lips.

Sakura reached up to touch his rugged face, a smile upon her lips as well. "Oh Syaoran, I love you, too."

Sakura stood on her tip toes, her arms hung loosely around Syaoran's neck. She sealed their confessions with a sweet kiss, full of passion and love. Syaoran wasted no time in returning her affections. They felt a merging deep inside, the bonding was beginning. It felt pleasurable to the senses, enhancing their feelings for each other. Ever so slowly, their auras coiled around each other, binding them together for life.

When it was complete, Sakura felt a pulse of warmth spread through her. She looked up to Syaoran, seeing admiration and love in his chocolate orbs. Sakura had to make sure what had just happened was real.

'_Syaoran?'_ Sakura asked timidly.

Syaoran smiled down at Sakura, a tingling sensation shooting down his spine. _'Yes, Sakura?'_

Excitement bubbled through her, and she launched herself into his arms. Syaoran chuckled, truly happy.

'_We can finally be together, Syaoran!'_ Sakura's eyes gleamed with happiness.

"Yes, we can, but we have to meet up with Eriol and the others. The rescue mission isn't complete yet." Syaoran's expression turned solemn.

Sakura grasped his hand in hers. "They can do nothing more to us, Syaoran. We will fight together."

Syaoran gawked at her in surprise. "You choose to fight by my side?"

"I do." Sakura answered sincerely.

His hold on her hand tightened, his thumb brushing against her knuckles. "It'll be dangerous…"

"I think I can handle it." Sakura smiled innocently.

They looked into each other's eyes sweetly before breaking eye contact. They stared at the door, their eyes hardening. Syaoran busted the door in shambles with a flick of his wrist. The door was made out of wood, after all.

They marched passed the threshold, hand in hand, together.

_With Ryo_:

Ryo ran down several different corridors, checking the doors as he went. He still hadn't found any sign of Meiling or Tomoyo. 'How far did these dumbass brothers separate the girls?' Ryo pondered.

He was coming up on another door, wasting no time to open it. He ducked in, but the sight was enough to make him stumble in his steps. His breathing became erratic as he gazed down on Meiling sprawled out on the stone floor, injured and unconscious.

Immediately, Ryo dropped to his knees beside her, checking for a pulse. He released a relieved sigh when he found one. Carefully, Ryo lifted Meiling's battered body from the cold floor and rested her on the large bed.

"What has he done to you…?" Ryo was utterly speechless and numb. It felt like this was all a nightmare, like it wasn't really happening. "Oh, Meiling…I'm so sorry. This never should have happened." Ryo gently ran his hand through her dulled raven hair.

Ryo couldn't stand to see Meiling in such a beaten state. Her clothes were torn in shreds…her hair hung loosely from their usual bun ponytails…she was unhealthily pale…bruises, cuts, scrapes, and dirt covered her body.

Kneeling down to Meiling's level, Ryo began to heal Meiling. He chanted many ancient phrases, his eyes closed. When the chants were complete, his eyes opened suddenly and a rush of energy coated Meiling's battered form. When her injuries were completely healed, her eyes slowly fluttered open.

She tried to focus her ruby eyes on the person hovering above her, and she panicked. She thought Jin Kai was going to harm her again, so she curled up in the fetal position, hugging her stomach.

Ryo became worried when she turned from him. He reached his hand toward her shoulder, but she shook it off.

"Don't touch me!" Meiling burst into tears.

'She thinks I'm Jin Kai.' Ryo was crushed.

"Meiling…It's me, Ryo." Meiling became rigid. "I've come for you, Meiling."

"Ryo…?" She questioned, unsure.

"Yes, Meiling, I'm here." Ryo reassured.

He was unprepared for her sudden reaction to his presence. She sat up on the bed and glanced over her shoulder, tears gathering in her eyes. She eyed him cautiously. Ryo looked down at her sadly.

"Umph…" Meiling launched into his arms, knocking the air out of his lungs. Tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"Ryo, it really is you!" Meiling sobbed into his chest.

He hugged her close to his body, afraid to let her go. "I'm so sorry, Meiling. I didn't get to you in time…he tortured you." Ryo's shoulders began to shake in anger.

"No, that's not true." Ryo's head shot up in surprise as Meiling explained. "You made it just in time. If you were any later, Jin Kai would have taken me as his own."

"But he tortured you endlessly!" Ryo pressed.

Meiling shook her head. "That wasn't torture, Ryo." At his confused expression, Meiling elaborated. "I can handle physical pain, Ryo, but it wasn't real torture. _Real_ torture was not knowing if I'd see you again…_real_ torture was not becoming your bonded…_real_ torture was living the rest of my life as an empty shell. That's what pain really is."

Ryo's smoky eyes shown with admiration for Meiling. "You were wrong before." Ryo smiled at Meiling's confused look. "When you said you were sorry for not being strong, you were wrong." Ryo kissed her forehead gently. "You are the strongest person I know, Meiling."

She blushed at his praise, her cheeks being dusted a bright pink. "Thank you." She whispered.

"Maybe that's why I love you so much. You have a fire that no one can extinguish." Ryo nearly chuckled when Meiling choked on air from her shock, coughing. "And before you ask…yes, I really do love you, Meiling."

"How can you be sure? How do you know it's love?" Meiling whispered uncertainly.

Ryo smiled softly. "Because I'm most happy when I'm with you. Love can't exist without happiness, Meiling. I know I love you because I came all this way to save you, I would die for you if I knew it would protect you."

Meiling's ruby eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She granted Ryo a watery smile. "Good, because I love you, Ryo."

"Hmmm…is that so? How can you be sure?" Ryo mocked teasingly.

Meiling punched him in the arm. "Because you make me happy. You go out of your way to protect me; you worry for me; you chase after me. I love you because you've found it in your heart to love me."

Meiling yanked him down by his collar and planted a loving kiss to his lips. Ryo deepened it, adding all the feeling he had for her into that one kiss, as if it were the last one they'd ever share. A magical force started blending their auras together. Meiling never felt so close to another human being as much as she did with Ryo at that moment. Warmth spread through their bodies. When the kiss ended, Ryo had a mischievous smirk on his lips.

"Looks like you're stuck with me now babe." Meiling rolled her eyes, swatting him upside the head.

"Don't call me babe, Ryo." Ryo simply hung his head.

Meiling held his hand, threading her fingers through his, drawing his attention. They both stared at each other seriously.

"We'll fight together, Meiling." Ryo spoke quietly.

"They can't beat us so long as we have each other." Meiling agreed.

Ryo and Meiling walked out of the room, never releasing their hold on each other.

_With Eriol_:

Eriol was darting through the corridors, his eyes piercing straight ahead. He came to an immediate halt in his steps when he remembered his promise to Tomoyo.

'_Tomoyo, can you hear me?'_ Eriol tested.

'_I'm here, Eriol.'_ Tomoyo answered in hushed tones.

'_What's the matter?'_ He asked worriedly. _'Why are you so quiet?'_

'_Jin Sai came back a while after we spoke…he felt it was necessary to…give me a sample of what I can look forward to tomorrow…'_ Tomoyo sobbed. _'I couldn't do anything to stop him…he restrained my movements with his power.'_

Eriol stiffened, shaking with controlled anger. _'Tell me what he did to you.'_

Tomoyo broke down in tears. _'H-He pinned me to the bed…kissing me harshly…biting my lip, drawing blood…h-he touched me through m-my clothes, telling me that he would enjoy himself come morning…'_

Eriol was more than pissed. He was seeing red, and only Jin Sai's head on a platter would calm his rage, but he hid his anger from Tomoyo. She was already devastated enough.

'_Shhh…it'll be ok, I'm on my way.'_ Eriol soothed her cries.

He sensed for her aura, and it was strongest at the end of the hall, the last door. Eriol burst through the door, and Tomoyo ran into his arms sobbing. Eriol embraced her tightly, never wanting to let go. He let his eyes assess the damage on his lover. Her lip was indeed split and clotted, and her clothes were rumpled. Tomoyo was shaking unbearably.

"I'm here now. He will never touch you again, I promise you." Eriol simmered under the surface, practically boiling.

"Eriol…I'm so glad you came." Tomoyo whimpered.

"I would never leave you, love." Eriol nuzzled her soft raven locks. "We need to get you out of here and to somewhere safe…"

Tomoyo cut in, "I have no intention of leaving you here to battle on your own, Eriol. I'm going with you."

"I can't ask you to do that, Tomoyo. You've been through enough." Eriol stared worriedly into her beautiful eyes.

"You didn't ask, I decided. We are going to fight them together, Eriol. That's what couples in love do for each other." Tomoyo's eyes softened.

Eriol smiled gently at his love, sighing in defeat. "You win. We'll fight together." Tomoyo smiled brightly.

Eriol brushed his knuckles against the softness of her cheek. Tomoyo closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of him so close. Eriol leaned in until he was about a breath away from her lips. "I love you." Tomoyo's eyes opened and sparkled brightly. "I love you, Eriol." Eriol closed the small gap between them, sealing their reunion with a kiss. There was so much pent up emotion in their kiss, so much passion, happiness, and love. Tomoyo gasped when she felt their auras threading together completely. Eriol took advantage and deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with his tongue, enjoying her taste.

When their kiss ended, Eriol pressed his lips gently to her forehead, pulling her further into his embrace. He closed his eyes, concentrating on their combined auras. He gave a gentle tug, and Tomoyo moaned softly. 'Interesting…I'll remember that later…' Eriol thought mischievously.

'_Come along, love. We've got work to do.'_ Eriol smiled gently.

'_We sure do.'_ Tomoyo agreed.

They turned, facing the open door. Tomoyo linked her arm through his, and they walked out, ready to fight the Jin Brothers together.

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I made this chapter extra long to appease all my readers until I get back to update again. Wow, the Jin Bros. are pretty cocky if they think that Eriol, Syaoran, and Ryo aren't a threat…hmm…or maybe they're just stupid.

I just want to say you all are AMAZING! You leave such wonderful comments, and I couldn't be happier! Please continue reviewing, because I write for you!

Chapter 15: Final Battle

Jin Bros. vs. Pissed off Boyfriends and Vengeful Women…..oh boy….


	15. Chapter 15: Final Battle

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

**Chapter 15: Final Battle**

Eriol and Tomoyo slowly made their way down the winding stairwell when two shadows at the bottom of the steps startled them. Whoever the mysterious figures were, they were talking in hushed tones. Eriol instinctively moved in front of Tomoyo, blocking her from view. Tomoyo worried her bottom lip in anxiety, unfortunately reopening Jin Sai's handiwork.

Eriol raised a finger to his lips to signal they remain silent. But upon seeing the blood drip from her lip, his demeanor softened. Eriol brushed his thumb against her parted bottom lip gently, sending a bit of his energy into her. When he removed his thumb, the cut was healed.

Tomoyo smiled warmly at her bonded. "You didn't have to waste your energy on something so trivial."

Eriol's eyes flashed seriously. "If it concerns you, it is by no means wasteful or trivial."

"Always the flatterer…" Tomoyo blushed prettily, earning a charming grin from her lover.

"It's not flattery…I was simply being honest." Eriol smiled down at her, pulling her into the shadows of the stairwell to hide from the unknown duo.

They listened intently to the conversation near them, and Tomoyo's eyes widened when she heard a familiar voice.

"C'mon already, the courtyard is most likely where they're scheming." Meiling whispered, directing Ryo around the castle.

Tomoyo skipped the remaining steps and launched herself at Meiling. "Mei!" Tomoyo turned tearful, sinking to her knees, hugging Meiling around her middle.

"'Moyo?! How on Earth did you escape???" Meiling croaked, dropping to her knees as well to return Tomoyo's embrace. When Eriol stepped away from the shadows, Meiling nodded her head in understanding.

"Oh, Mei…I'm so sorry…I saw what that monster was doing to you, but I couldn't do anything to help you…" Tomoyo sobbed into her shoulder.

"Hey now, it's alright. Nothing was your fault, and besides, Ryo saved me." Meiling comforted.

When Tomoyo calmed from her meltdown, Eriol helped her back to her feet, holding her shoulders to steady her.

"Where were you two headed before meeting up with us?" Eriol looked to Ryo for an answer.

"Meiling was telling me that the courtyard was where they were first summoned, so we figured that's where the brothers are hiding out for the meantime." Meiling nodded in agreement to Ryo's explanation.

"Have either of you had a run in with Sakura and Syaoran?" Tomoyo asked hopefully.

"No, but we think they might be down in the courtyard." Meiling hypothesized, pointing out the direction.

The couples stared down the dark hallway fully aware that this battle would determine their futures together.

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Syaoran and Sakura calmly walked through the long, stone-walled corridor that led to the open courtyard where Sakura, Meiling, and Tomoyo were first summoned. Sakura had an eerie suspicion that that's where the setting for the battle would be held.

As they approached, Sakura couldn't help but shiver from the distasteful memories that occurred in the castle's wretched courtyard. Syaoran noticed her subtle movements and turned to his bonded, the grip of their joined hands never slackening.

"This courtyard is where it happened." Syaoran stated, rather than questioned. Thanks to the bonding, Syaoran could read Sakura's emotions as plain as day.

"Yes, this is where we first met _them_, where _they_ used their powers on us, and where _they_ separated us." Sakura confirmed, her voice coldly monotonous, completely uncharacteristic of her.

When they reached the end of the corridor, they ceased walking. The courtyard was silent and empty, almost like the calm before the storm. A gentle breeze blew through the strands of their hair, but neither took notice.

'_What do we do now, Syaoran?'_ Sakura asked through their connection.

'_We wait. Either Eriol and Ryo will join us, or Jin Tai will realize you're missing and come looking for you.'_ Syaoran gritted his teeth in response to the latter option.

"There's something I've wanted to ask you, Syaoran." Sakura released her hold from Syaoran's hand, turning away slightly to hide her embarrassment.

Syaoran followed Sakura's mannerisms with his ever watchful gaze. "And what would that be?"

"Do I disappoint you?" Sakura jumped at how blunt that sounded. "I mean, now that we're bonded, I just wanted to make sure you don't feel trapped being with me."

"Sakura, what I said earlier was true." Syaoran rested his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him. "I love you. I can't feel trapped with someone I love, that's impossible." Syaoran chuckled. "Now that we are bonded, I can feel everything. You have a kind heart, Sakura; you feel like home to me…how could that ever be disappointing?"

Sakura was about to reply when manic laughter filled the courtyard. Syaoran instinctually moved in front of Sakura in a protective manner. Sakura meekly peeked over his shoulder. Syaoran's eyes shifted calculatingly, searching the grounds for the evil brute.

"SHOW YOURSELF, JIN TAI!" Syaoran yelled, his voice echoing off the stone walls.

"Who said Tai was alone?" Quipped another voice, this one was cool and controlled.

"We never travel alone, you fool." Taunted a low and dangerous voice.

"Hmm, that's funny. Neither do we!" Eriol's strong voice resounded.

Syaoran smirked, seeing his friends directly across from them, each ready to fight.

Eriol stood tall, the wind swirling angrily around him. His eyes narrowed, focusing on the location of the brothers. Tomoyo looked just as fierce, standing by his side. Her eyes flashed a bright blue, and her long raven hair wisped heatedly behind her.

Ryo and Meiling fell into a fighting stance; Ryo glowing a smoky grey, and Meiling's eyes flashing a dangerous, fiery red.

Each of their elements were at the tip of their fingertips, ready to be summoned.

The Jin Brothers revealed themselves, all three clapping in unison.

"It seems I have underestimated you." Jin Sai spoke calmly. "However, I do have one question…Do you honestly believe that we can't sever your bond? Because I can assure you, it is possible."

"You're too late! The bonding has occurred, and there is no undoing it!" Ryo hollered, his fists shaking.

"That's where you're wrong." Jin Kai scowled in annoyance. "Didn't you ever once wonder why we pursued your soul mates when we clearly had our own?"

Sakura gasped, causing Syaoran to glance back at her. "You didn't…how could you? They were your soul mates!!" Syaoran had to hold Sakura back; she was lashing about trying to get at the Jin Brothers.

"Sakura, calm down, what did they do?" Syaoran restrained her.

"Yes, my little cherry blossom, do tell!" Tai encouraged cynically.

"YOU MURDERED YOUR OWN SOUL MATES!!!" Sakura screamed painfully. "The only way to escape a complete bonding is by death…you killed them…" She collapsed in shock into Syaoran's shaking arms.

"Ding ding ding, I do believe we have a winner!" Tai laughed scathingly. "The bonding did occur for us, but that was before we knew of the elemental sorceresses."

Tomoyo's aura flared dangerously. "Why…?" She asked, her voice wavered deadly.

"The elemental sorceresses are the strongest of our generation." Sai spoke, staring directly at Tomoyo. "We had to sever the bonds of our former soul mates. The only known method is to use your own powers to murder them. We desire power, and they didn't have it. "

"And what makes you think we'd use our powers to kill our bonded?!" Meiling bit back sardonically.

"You'll have no choice." Kai answered coyly.

"ENOUGH!" Eriol launched into battle, sending strong winds as sharp as knives at Jin Sai.

Tomoyo darted off after Eriol, summoning a deafening storm from the once calm sky, engulfing the battle in a fitting finale.

Jin Tai and Syaoran charged at one another in physical combat, testing each other's skills against their rival's. Syaoran plunged a fist to his midsection, but Tai countered with a blinding shot to the temple, knocking Syaoran to the other side of the courtyard. Sakura was about to run after Syaoran, but Jin Tai hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her to him.

"I'll show you a good time, Earth." Jin Tai whispered seductively into Sakura's ear.

Sakura's emerald eyes narrowed dangerously as she stomped cruelly on his foot, elbowing him harshly in the midsection, flipping his sorry ass to the ground, and finally grinding the heel of her foot into his family jewels.

"Good enough for ya?!" Sakura spit on him, rejoining Syaoran.

Syaoran gazed at her in admiration. "That's my girl." Sakura winked at him before returning to the fight.

Ryo and Meiling fought against Jin Kai in a joint effort. Meiling used her powerful legs to launch painful attacks to his abdomen, knee caps, and of course his balls. Meiling fought dirty, and she was damn proud of it. Meanwhile, Ryo would launch punches to his cheeks, temples, and neck…whatever he could get. Every time Jin Kai went to snap his fingers to initiate his power of Pain, Ryo and Meiling would be bombarding him with more attacks, never giving him the chance.

Tomoyo acted as defense for Eriol. Whenever Jin Sai seemed close enough to throw an attack of some sort, Tomoyo would summon her element to sweep him off his feet or temporarily drown him. Eriol was bent on slicing Jin Sai in any bodily way, so long as he inflicted some kind of pain.

Unknown to the bonded couples, the Jin Brothers were slowly leading them to three different points in the courtyard. Once the positions were rightfully filled, an unexpected barrier appeared, separating the couples from their soul mates. The way it was set up kept Eriol, Syaoran, and Ryo out while Tomoyo, Sakura, and Meiling were trapped inside with the Jin Brothers.

"Damn it! NO!!" Eriol pounded his fists on the barrier looking into the panicked face of his lover.

"Eriol…" Tomoyo couldn't say much more before her mind was clouded over in a shadier haze than when Jin Sai controlled her mind. "…what's h-happening to m-m-me…"

Eriol glanced around the clearing to see the same pained expression on Sakura and Meiling's faces. He searched for the source, but soon realized that the Jin Brothers were chanting in a triad.

When Tomoyo dropped to her knees, clutching her ears, her fingers twitching in the effort to keep the intruder out, Eriol felt tears slide down his cheeks.

'_Tomoyo…?'_ Eriol dared to contact her, but received static in return. Their connection was being hindered.

"Hiiragizawa!! The Hell is goin' on?!?!" Syaoran shouted from his position.

"The damned brothers are combining all of their powers to attack the girls!" Ryo hollered from his stance.

Eriol couldn't stand to see Tomoyo in so much distress, but he didn't know how to end it. He searched frantically for a flaw in their plan.

"There is nothing you can do! The girls are being brainwashed and tortured until they obey orders!" Jin Sai cackled from his place in the triad.

"Release them you bastards!!" Syaoran commanded authoritatively.

"S-Syaoran…" Sakura said weakly before a bright green light engulfed her body.

The same occurrence held true for Tomoyo and Meiling who were surrounded in blue and red light. Eriol, Syaoran, and Ryo had to shield their eyes from the blinding lights.

When it finally dimmed, they focused their vision on the girls, but the sight was unsettling.

A dark aura surrounded the usually bright aura around each girl. Their eyes were dulled, yet horrible smiles were displayed on their once innocent lips. They looked as though they were tainted by the Devil himself.

"KILL THEM!!!" The Jin Brothers ordered in unison.

The barrier dissipated, and the girls launched into immediate attacks. All the guys could do was dodge fretfully.

"Meiling, please stop this!!!" Ryo begged, "This isn't who you are!" Meiling looked on in a disturbing manner, one in which an assassin would give his target.

"Sakura, you've gotta fight this!" Syaoran began to sweat from exertion. "They've never been able to control you for long, don't let them start now!" Sakura never skipped a beat in her attacks.

"RYO! SYAORAN! The girls will not respond to our pleas!" Eriol declared wisely. "The only thing left for us to do is allow them to kill us." Tomoyo faltered in her step.

"You're right, for once, Hiiragizawa!" Syaoran agreed. "If they despise us as much as the Jin Brothers want them to, then killing us off will be a breeze."

"Unless they can't bring themselves to do it!" Ryo stumbled, falling to the ground with Meiling straddling him, fire burning from her fingertips.

Eriol and Syaoran were in similar predicaments. Tomoyo straddled Eriol with swirls of liquid dying to drill through his heart, and Sakura straddled Syaoran with sharp spikes of Earth ready to pierce him.

"C'mon, Tomoyo, do it. Prove to me that our love was never really there." Eriol taunted, inflicting 'tough love' on his bonded. Tomoyo had tears streaming down her face, the water receding from her fingertips.

"Yeah, Meiling, I knew you were faking it. If you kill me, then I'll know that everything you said was a lie." Ryo whispered, catching onto Eriol's plan, thus causing a flame to flicker in Meiling's eyes while the fire died in her hands.

"Sakura…if you hate me because _they_ want you to, then our love was meaningless since you can't fight it." Syaoran watched as Sakura promptly dropped the spike onto the Earth, shaking violently.

"KILL THEM!!! WE COMMAND YOU TO!!!!" The brothers yelled frustratingly.

The girls stood from their positions, turning defiantly on the Jin Brothers.

"You can't command what was never yours…" Meiling shook with rage.

"We will not succumb to your lies…" Sakura clenched her eyes shut tightly.

"…and you cannot remove a love so deeply rooted as the one we have for them!!" Tomoyo burst.

Eriol smiled proudly at his bonded. _'I knew you'd come back to me, love.'_

'_I was never really gone, Eriol.'_ Tomoyo helped Eriol back to his feet. _'When this is over, we are going to have a LONG talk about your tough love speeches.'_

Eriol shook his head and sighed, there was no getting out of that when it came to Tomoyo Daidouji.

The three couples stood next to their significant other, prepared to finish the Jin Brothers for good.

Meiling and Ryo combined their elements to form a powerful attack. Meiling created a tornado of flames, and Ryo added sharp fragments of metal into the mix, sending it spiraling on top of Jin Kai. The metal cut deeply into Jin Kai's skin, slowly entering his flesh. His screams were unfounded as Meiling demanded her fire to enter his body through his mouth, torturing him from the inside like he so enjoyed doing to Meiling. Soon, his body was shredded from the metal fragments, and then incinerated by the scorching flames. Nothing remained of his existence other then the terrible memories.

Sakura summoned a commanding earthquake to reveal the Earth's molten lava beneath the soil. Syaoran unleashed a tangled mess of branched vines at Jin Tai, dragging him down into the depths of the Earth's crust. Jin Tai clawed at the ground feverishly, fighting to stay alive. Syaoran gave a sharp tug, and Jin Tai was sent sprawling down the seemingly bottomless pit. Sakura brought her parted arms together in a resounding clap, closing the tear in the Earth, trapping Jin Tai for eternity.

Tomoyo joined Eriol on the battlefield, threading her fingers through his. Together, they joined their elements, creating a fierce hurricane. The wind howled its vengeance, only to be sated at the taste of Jin Sai's spilt blood. The powerful storm was unleashed on Jin Sai, who had no chance at defense. Sai's body was mangled about in the maelstrom. The waves of the hurricane drowned him, while the harsh winds suffocated him. By the time Tomoyo and Eriol called off their vicious attack, nothing remained of Jin Sai.

When the fight ended, and everything became quiet…Tomoyo, Sakura, and Meiling swayed dangerously from exhaustion before succumbing to a world of black. Eriol, Syaoran, and Ryo caught them around the shoulders, hoisting them up into their arms bridal style.

Eriol brushed loose strands of hair from Tomoyo's face, placing a chaste kiss to her forehead. He knew that she and the other girls must have been spent after fighting off the Jin Brothers both mentally and physically.

"Let's go home." Eriol whispered to his two comrades. Syaoran and Ryo nodded, both holding their bonded close to their hearts.

In no time at all, the thrashed courtyard was empty of all life. Eriol, Syaoran, and Ryo disappeared with their bonded by means of teleportation.

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Thanks for waiting patiently for me to get back! There will more than likely be one more chapter plus an epilogue before this story is over. The next chapter will be up probably sometime this weekend.

Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews! I thoroughly enjoyed reading them all!! If you could just review for a few more chapters, I promise an excellent finish!

Chapter 16: Magical Bonds

Unfinished business is settled…


	16. Chapter 16: Magical Bonds

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

A/n: Let's just pretend that everyone was originally from Hong Kong…it's my story, I do what I want ;P

WARNING: References to sexual situations…if you are not comfortable with that, do not read (No, it is not a full blown lemon)

**Chapter 16: Magical Bonds**

Eriol, Syaoran, and Ryo did not take the girls back to the quaint little home they had been residing in. Instead, they brought them to their _real_ home…the place of their birth, Hong Kong. As soon as they arrived, they immediately whisked the girls to an exclusive sector of the city that belonged solely to the Li-Clan.

When they arrived at the front gates, Syaoran's mother Yelan gracefully approached. Eriol, Syaoran, and Ryo froze in panic because it was customary to bow before Yelan before engaging in conversation. How were they supposed to do that while holding their resting soul mates?

Yelan noticed the apprehensive looks on their faces and hid a small smile behind her delicate fan. She lifted an arm to halt their ridiculous antics at bowing while holding their precious cargo.

"Stand tall gentlemen, for you bring honor to our clan." Yelan pointed her fan at the three slumbering girls. "Welcome home Syaoran Li, Eriol Hiiragizawa, and Ryo Miteki. You've done well." She made eye contact with each as she said their name.

The boys sighed in relief, but remained poised for the sake of appearance and presentation.

Once pleasantries were exchanged, the boys followed Yelan through the gates.

"Mother?" Syaoran spoke, waiting for her acknowledgement.

"Yes, Syaoran?" Yelan averted her eyes to her son, somewhat surprised at how tall he'd grown over the years.

"We've defeated the Jin Brothers for good this time. There was a huge battle where our soul mates teamed with us to take them down." Syaoran glanced down at Sakura's sleeping form. "But something troubles me."

Yelan raised an eyebrow, waiting for Syaoran to continue.

"The girls fainted afterwards, and they haven't awakened since." Syaoran's voice quivered a little toward the end.

Eriol and Ryo were also worried about repercussions that might harm their bonded.

Yelan closed her eyes, searching for the right words to ease their minds. "Did they tap into their hidden elemental powers?" Yelan asked wisely.

"What do you mean, Aunt Yelan?" Eriol questioned unsurely.

"Tell me, what attacks did they use?" Yelan briefly asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well, Meiling used this really awesome flame tornado! It was really tall and wide and HOT!" Ryo beamed, remembering how incredible it felt to have her fight by his side. Eriol and Syaoran rolled their eyes at his enthusiasm.

"Sakura cracked open the earth to send Jin Tai down to its crust, and then she closed it with a clap of her hands. I've never seen anything like it, mother!" Syaoran had a look of awe splayed across his features.

"Tomoyo used her element to combine with mine, and we created one hellacious hurricane." Eriol smirked.

"I see." Yelan glanced up toward the cloudless sky, regretting the information she knew they had to know.

"You have not completed the bonding; you are only half there. If the girls tapped into a large dosage of their hidden elemental power before the bonding was complete, their life energy was used as a replacement." Yelan replied monotonously.

"B-but that m-means…" Ryo stuttered, unable to believe what he was hearing.

Yelan sighed, "Yes, they are currently comatose."

Syaoran, Eriol, and Ryo ceased walking alongside Yelan. She turned around, noticing the looks of shock and despair on their once proud features.

Eriol lowered his head, his bangs hiding the emotion in his eyes. "How do we revive them, Aunt Yelan?" Eriol clutched Tomoyo closer to his chest, his arms shaking.

"Come, we'll discuss this inside." Yelan resumed her walk back to the Li mansion.

Eriol, Syaoran, and Ryo exchanged nervous glances, but nodded in agreement anyways. Yelan had a plan, and they knew better than to doubt her intelligence. The girls would be alright, they would make sure of it.

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Once inside, the men gently laid the girls down on three soft mats. Eriol brushed Tomoyo's bangs from her beautiful face, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. Syaoran held Sakura's hand, never taking his eyes from her relaxed features. Ryo kneeled by Meiling's side, a question burning in his mind.

"Yelan, how do we revive them?"

Yelan rested on her knees, sitting in front of the trio. She smiled sadly at the tenderness they showed their soul mates. "There are two parts involved in the recovery of their element depletion."

Syaoran's eyes immediately snapped to his mother. "We'll do anything, Mother!" He urged desperately.

"Very well," Yelan sighed, "part one includes the revitalization of their elements. You are to take them to where their elements are strongest. Eriol, you will take Tomoyo to the most tranquil ocean. Place her in the ocean's center where the waves lap at her gently and watch over her."

Eriol nodded in understanding.

Yelan shifted her gaze to Ryo. "Ryo, you will take Meiling to the tallest dormant volcano. Place her in the brewing lava and watch over her." At Ryo's startled expression, Yelan added, "Do not worry; her element will protect her from the lava. They _all_ will be protected by their elements." Yelan emphasized to ease their fears.

Her gaze landed on Syaoran. "Syaoran, you will take Sakura to the healthiest meadow where the soil is the most moist. Place her on the ground and the soil will wrap around her, watch over her." Syaoran nodded gratefully.

"I am not sure how long it will take, but once they awaken you mustn't delay part two. Unless you complete the bonding _fully_…" Yelan smirked devilishly, as the boys gulped visibly. "…the girls will relapse back into their coma by the following morn." Yelan returned to all seriousness. "This is where you three part ways…do not return until it is complete."

"Yes, (Mother, Aunt Yelan, and Ma'am depending on who says it)" The trio chorused.

They each lifted their bonded back into their arms, bridal style. They cast stern stares at each other.

"Hey Ryo! You better bring my cousin back alive, got it?!" Syaoran practically demanded, earning a sharp nod from Eriol in total agreement.

"That's right, Ryo. Don't make us hunt you down should you fail." Eriol's voice turned deadly.

Ryo scratched the back of his head nervously, before scolding them back. "Yeah yeah, but the same goes for the two of you!" Eriol and Syaoran exchanged knowing glances and smirked.

"Count on it." Syaoran replied.

The three shared one last look before suddenly disappearing in a whirl of wind, metal, and wood.

"Bring them back alive." Yelan whispered to the empty room.

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_At the Tallest Dormant Volcano_:

Upon his arrival, Ryo immediately scanned his surroundings to make sure it was indeed secluded. Sensing no disturbances, Ryo summoned his element to aid him in his trek down the lip of the volcano. As he stepped, metal stairs appeared at his feet heading downward. Ryo carefully crept down the conjured stairwell, holding Meiling tightly to his chest.

"Whew, it sure is a scorcher down here." Ryo panted, trying his damnedest to ignore the heat.

Once he felt he was close enough to the lava's surface, he knelt down on his metal platform, lowering Meiling reluctantly into the hot magma. He watched as the lava pulled her into its depths.

"All I can do now is wait…" Ryo sighed despairingly, sitting back on his metal platform. That's when he realized how HOT his platform was, and he jumped very high, blowing on his burned hands. Ryo came to the conclusion that it would be wise to watch over her from higher up. He ascended the scorching metal stair case all the way to the top of the volcano's lip. It was there that he began his long wait.

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_At the Healthiest Meadow Where the Soil is Most Moist_:

When Syaoran appeared in the meadow described by his mother, he immediately breathed in the sweet fresh air. He glanced around the meadow and noticed that it was very secluded. It was a small circular patch, guarded by a long line of trees. Syaoran looked down at Sakura, and his eyes hardened in determination. He would bring his Sakura back, no matter the cost.

Syaoran began his short walk to the center of the meadow. He kneeled on the softness of the meadow's grass, slowly lowering Sakura on top of it. He placed her hands carefully on her stomach before standing and stepping away.

Once he was out of range, the pure moist soil thrust from the earth, blanketing Sakura completely. A few seconds later, she was pulled down below the earth.

Syaoran was slightly creeped out…it looked as though Sakura was being buried at her funeral. He had to shake off the morbid thought and concentrate on the task at hand. Taking a seat against the trunk of a tree, Syaoran waited as patiently as was humanly possible, when it came to him, for Sakura's return.

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_At the Most Tranquil Ocean_:

When Eriol arrived at his destination, he and Tomoyo plummeted from the sky due to gravity. Gathering his element, the wind gently lifted them above the water's surface. Hovering above the ocean, he lowered Tomoyo carefully into the serene pool.

Tomoyo floated for a short time before the gentle waves lapped at her body, drawing her deeper into the ocean's depth. Eriol watched as her form slowly disappeared into the darkness (a/n: kinda like in Titanic when Jack's body sinks into the ocean).

It was difficult for Eriol to just watch Tomoyo sink further into the dark abyss. He shivered at the thought of her drowning, but he remembered Yelan's words, '_They __all__ will be protected by their elements_.'

Closing his eyes, Eriol lifted high into the air to await Tomoyo's revival. He sat Indian-style, meditatively waiting for any change.

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7 HOURS HAVE PASSED:

_With Ryo_:

Ryo glanced up at the sky, noticing the sun's departure over the horizon. 'It's been so long! What if this doesn't work? We only have until morning…'

Suddenly, the magma came to a dangerous boil and erupted up into the sky. Ryo jumped up in alert, slightly afraid of this unexpected eruption from a "dormant" volcano.

Ryo waited for the lava to travel down the volcano's sides, but it did nothing of the sort. The lava was completely controlled. A figure emerged from the lava, her raven hair flapping about her head heatedly. Her ruby eyes opened, centering on Ryo, and she smiled.

"Ryo…" Meiling whispered lovingly.

Ryo wasted no time. He used his element and created a metal platform to glide over to Meiling. She jumped on board, wrapping her arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest. Ryo returned her hug tenfold. He couldn't believe she was awake and unharmed.

"Meiling, you're ok!" Ryo smiled excitedly.

Meiling lifted her head to lock eyes with Ryo. "You know it!"

She backed away to where she'd be at arms length and gripped Ryo's hands in hers. When Ryo winced, concern flitted in Meiling's eyes.

"What's wrong, Ryo?"

"Nothing, forget about it…tss!" Ryo hissed in pain when Meiling squeezed his hands.

Noticing his reaction, Meiling lifted his palm up to her to inspect the problem. She gasped, seeing the blisters from a burn, no doubt.

Meiling leaned forward, pressing her lips to his burned flesh gently. Ryo noticed an immediate change. The burn became a pleasurable tingle, and Ryo blushed. Meiling repeated her actions to his other palm. Ryo shivered in delight. When she finished, she was taken by surprise when Ryo lifted her chin up to receive a deep, satisfying kiss. This kiss was unlike any other; it was filled with longing, happiness, passion, love, and reminiscence.

Several images flashed before Meiling's eyes, her memories.

**The first time she met him:**

"_KYA!!!!" Meiling slammed a man that was hovering above her to the ground. "Think you can take advantage of me you SCUM!!!"_

**Their first promise:**

"_Promise you won't leave me." Ryo's eyes widened in shock, unsure if Meiling was aware of what she was asking. His look softened. "I promise, Meiling. But you have to promise me something as well…" Meiling's eyes found his in a half daze. "What?"_

"_You have to promise to stay awake." Ryo whispered to her, and Meiling smiled at his concern. "I'll do it, for you Ryo…"_

**Their first meeting as soul mates:**

"_Umm…surprise?" Was all Meiling could say. Ryo merely nodded, clearly stunned._

_When the shock wore off, Ryo wrestled Meiling back down to the floor. Once he had her pinned, he locked eyes with her asking only one question, "You'll stay?"_

_Meiling smirked up to him, "I'll stay."_

**The first time he asked her out:**

"_Be my girlfriend?" Ryo asked in a trance-like state. Meiling froze, and then giggled._

"_What? Being soul mates isn't enough?" She teased affectionately._

_Ryo smirked, but replied in all honesty. "Not for me."_

"_Well, if that's the case…" Meiling leaned down and locked lips with Ryo in a sweet chaste kiss. "…I s'pose I'll just have to agree to your terms, Miteki."_

**Their first love confession:**

"_You are the strongest person I know, Meiling."_

_She blushed at his praise, her cheeks being dusted a bright pink. "Thank you." She whispered._

"_Maybe that's why I love you so much. You have a fire that no one can extinguish." Ryo nearly chuckled when Meiling choked on air from her shock, coughing. "And before you ask…yes, I really do love you, Meiling."_

"_How can you be sure? How do you know it's love?" Meiling whispered uncertainly._

_Ryo smiled softly. "Because I'm most happy when I'm with you. Love can't exist without happiness, Meiling. I know I love you because I came all this way to save you, I would die for you if I knew it would protect you."_

_Meiling's ruby eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She granted Ryo a watery smile. "Good, because I love you, Ryo."_

"_Hmmm…is that so? How can you be sure?" Ryo mocked teasingly._

_Meiling punched him in the arm. "Because you make me happy. You go out of your way to protect me; you worry for me; you chase after me. I love you because you've found it in your heart to love me."_

Meiling suddenly had a deep desire for what she wanted as their next 'first thing' to do together. She wanted to be his bonded, not only in the mental sense but also physically. She wanted to know everything there was to know about him. It's funny how one kiss could make her feel everything all at once.

Meiling broke the kiss, her ruby eyes shimmering with love and desire. Ryo knew what was to come; after all, he saw the memories flash through her mind since they were bonded mentally.

"Meiling, will you be mine, now and forever?" Ryo asked huskily.

"Ryo, I was yours back when we first met." Meiling confessed sincerely.

That was all it took. Ryo held Meiling close to his body as they walked away from the volcano's heat. Ryo snapped his fingers and blankets appeared before them, sprawled out on the ground. Meiling smiled contently, walking over to the bedding. She stood, staring deep into his eyes, beckoning him to join her. Ryo wasted no time heeding to her request.

Ryo jumped into another kiss, this one a bit rougher than the first, but that wasn't enough for Meiling…she wanted to feel and know exactly what Ryo was like. She instigated the kiss to become more wild and free. Caressing his broad shoulders, dragging her fingers to his chest, she couldn't take the fabric that blocked her from her goal. Meiling literally ripped the shirt right off his back.

His smoky eyes darkened, almost completely black, with unyielding desire. The dress Meiling was wearing didn't last long in Ryo's pursuit. Clothes were piling up in areas unknown to the two passionate lovers. Soon, they were both left standing completely nude.

Ryo took his time admiring Meiling's perfectly flushed body. She blushed under his scrutiny. He lowered her gently onto the cushion of blankets. Meiling looped her arms around his torso, bringing him closer to her lively body. Ryo began his assault on her neck, nipping and licking where ever possible, enjoying the mewling noises coming from her perfect mouth.

"Tell me you love me." Ryo ordered eagerly.

"I love you." Meiling breathlessly answered, squirming for more of his attentions.

"Good, because I love you too…my soul mate…my bonded…my love." Ryo declared between sweet kisses.

Ryo and Meiling spent the night proving how true those words he spoke really were; moans and mewls heard in the silence of the night.

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_With Syaoran_:

'Damn it.' Syaoran thought bitterly. 'What if this doesn't work? It's dusk now, and I've been waiting all day…Sakura, please be ok.'

Syaoran hadn't moved from his position against the tree's trunk the entire time Sakura's been…gulp…underground. 'I mean, what if she comes back as a vampire or something?! What do I do then?!' Syaoran was turning this entire thing into a spectacle of some sort.

Before he could continue on his rant of 'what if' questions, the ground suddenly shook. He jumped to a fighting stance, but was knocked off his feet by the sheer magnitude of the quake. His eyes sought out the spot where he'd last seen Sakura, but the area became surrounded by an explosion of soil, shooting up into the sky. Syaoran shielded his eyes from the onslaught of dirt, griping about some getting in his eye.

A green aura suddenly tugged on his, and his eyes shot open in surprise. Standing before him was his Sakura, a wide grin plastered on her beautiful face. Syaoran could have said anything he wanted to show his happiness, but only one thought came to mind.

"Why aren't you covered in dirt?" He asked stupidly.

Sakura giggled in response. "Well hello to you too!" Syaoran flushed deeply. "Did you forget that Earth is my element? No chance was I gonna get all dirty." Sakura giggled again.

Syaoran smiled at her laughter, it sounded like the tinkling of wind chimes.

"I worried about you, y'know." Syaoran whispered sadly.

Sakura immediately stopped laughing, her gaze softening sympathetically to her love. "I'm sorry, Syaoran. I didn't mean to…" but she was cut off by Syaoran's lips on hers.

He stilled any apology that might escape those luscious pink lips. She was completely swept away in his kiss; it told her everything she ever needed to know about what he felt for her. He was worried about her fainting spell; he feared she would not come out of her coma; he was ecstatic that she did return to him. She felt all this and more. His love for her soaked into her very skin, and she shivered. When his tongue entered her mouth, Sakura lost all sense of the world and only knew him. Something about this kiss invoked flashes of her memory to the surface.

**The first time they met:**

"_Hey, are you ok?" He asked softly, helping Sakura back to her feet. Sakura was slightly dizzy from the action and stumbled._

"_Easy now, careful…" He placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her. Sakura looked into his eyes and saw such tenderness and concern in his chocolate orbs._

"_I'm fine…thank you so much for what you did. I'm sorry if we caused you and your friend any trouble, mister…?" Sakura questioned._

"_Oh, right. My name's Syaoran, and believe me, it was no trouble at all." Syaoran chuckled. This earned him a soft smile from Sakura._

"_My name is Sakura. It's very nice to meet you, Syaoran." She blushed._

**His first offer to her:**

"_Yeah, and that sprained ankle isn't good to walk on either, Sakura. I could carry you if you want." Syaoran offered._

"_I couldn't possibly ask you to…" Before Sakura could argue, Syaoran lifted her off her feet eliciting a giggle from Sakura._

"_I wouldn't have offered if I thought it'd be a bother, Sakura." He whispered in her ear, making her blush._

**Their first meeting as soul mates:**

"_Then why reveal yourself after hiding for so long?" Syaoran couldn't believe the turn of events._

"_I'm afraid the answer to that question will have to wait until everyone is aware of who we are. Please be patient with me, Syaoran." Sakura begged with big, green doe eyes._

_Syaoran pushed himself up from the grass, and Sakura feared he was angry until she was scooped into his arms, her back to his chest. Syaoran nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear, "I'd wait forever for you." Sakura smiled softly at that._

**His question, her answer:**

"_So if you knew who we were, why didn't you run off or fight us?" Syaoran asked curiously._

"_You saved my life, Syaoran." Sakura looked down to him from her position. "I don't take that lightly."_

**Her first comfort from him:**

"_Shh, it's ok Sakura. I'm here. Just calm down." Syaoran squeezed his arms tighter around her small frame, rubbing small circles on her back. Soon, Sakura stopped crying and just hiccupped a few times before settling down completely._

"_Are you alright now, Sakura?" Syaoran released some pressure, so he could lean back to gaze into her face._

_She avoided his eyes because all she could think about were those dead, unseeing eyes from her dream._

_In an almost inaudible voice, Sakura whispered hoarsely, "You're alive…"_

_Syaoran was confused by her statement, but figured she must be referring to her nightmare._

"…_they said it was my fault…if I would have…if I…" Syaoran tilted her chin up, so he could look into her eyes._

"_Sakura, listen to me. It was only a nightmare, nothing more. I'm alive; everything's going to be ok." _

**Their first love confession:**

"_It's really you…" Sakura whispered brokenly, tears gathering in her emerald eyes._

"_It's me." Syaoran reassured, rubbing slow circles on her back to calm her down._

"_Why did you come? He said you wouldn't…why?" Sakura sounded so drained._

"_I'd always come for you. Never forget that." Syaoran lifted her chin with the tips of his fingers. "I always return to the one's I love."_

_Sakura's eyes shook in disbelief. "You love…me?"_

"_I love you, Sakura." Syaoran confirmed, a smile gracing his lips._

_Sakura reached up to touch his rugged face, a smile upon her lips as well. "Oh Syaoran, I love you, too."_

Sakura shook with so much emotion, it was overwhelming. Syaoran broke their kiss to stare deeply into her beautiful emerald eyes. A small timid smile graced her features, and Syaoran smiled gently in return. He leaned forward, kissing her temple. Sakura closed her eyes in bliss, but he took advantage and kissed both of her closed eyes. His kisses trailed to her cheeks, her lips, her neck, and back up again.

'_Is this what you want, love?_' Syaoran asked through their connection. '_Am I what you want?_'

Sakura's eyes shot open, but softened almost immediately. "You are, and always will be." She spoke out loud for any and all to hear.

He swooped her into another embrace, kissing her sweetly and gently, pouring all the love he had for her in this one kiss. A moan escaped her throat, sending chilling vibrations into Syaoran. He brushed his knuckles against her supple cheek, stroking it tenderly.

Sakura pulled him down to the grassy plain, so that he was on top of her. Syaoran placed his hands on either side of her head, while his legs straddled hers. Sakura's fingers roamed the strands of Syaoran's chocolate-colored hair in excitement. When Syaoran made eye contact with her, she smiled mischievously. With a snap of her fingers, neither was left with any clothes.

"You little minx." Syaoran chuckled gruffly, taking in the sight of Sakura's curvy frame.

"Well, clothes only get in the way…" Sakura muttered, her eyes twinkling impishly.

Syaoran trailed hot, wet kisses down the column of her throat, to her chest, all the way down to her navel, enjoying the wondrous sounds escaping her mouth.

'_I love you, Syaoran._' Sakura whispered through their bond.

'_I love you, Sakura._' Syaoran murmured in return.

The couple continued their loving exchange into the early hours of the morning, never sated and always wanting more.

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_With Eriol_:

The sun had set several hours ago, yet he was still waiting. Eriol was beginning to have doubts, no matter how much he truly wanted to believe she'd be alright. He was in the middle of brooding when a voice entered his mind.

'_Have you been waiting long, love?_' Eriol's head shot up looking all around, but there was no one there. 'Huh, thought I heard Tomoyo's voice just now…'

'_That's because you did…_' Suddenly, the ocean's water jutted up into the sky, swirling like a whirlpool out of water. Eriol saw a glowing figure in the center of this whirlpool, and a bright smile spread across his lips.

Tomoyo jumped out of the whirlpool's walls, and Eriol flew in to catch her. He held her close to his body, stroking her hair in wonderment.

"You're awake! I'm so glad you're awake…" Eriol nuzzled her neck, taking in the sweet scent wafting from her skin.

"I could never leave you alone for long…I thought you'd know that by now." Tomoyo laughed quietly, her arms wrapped around his torso.

"Hang on to me tight, love. I'm taking us back to land." Eriol forewarned before launching off to the nearest beach.

Tomoyo never loosened her grip…she still wasn't used to the whole flying thing yet.

When they found a desolate beach, Eriol went down for a landing, their hair flapping away in the wind. Once her feet touched ground, she opened her eyes. Turning to face Eriol, she noticed a stern look cover his features.

"What's the matter?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

"Did you know?" Eriol countered.

Tomoyo's eyes widened by a fraction, knowing exactly what he was talking about. She decided to pretend she didn't. "Know what?"

Eriol growled in response. "Don't play dumb with me Tomoyo Daidouji! Did you know that you drained your life energy instead of just the elemental power?!"

Tomoyo sighed dejectedly. "Yes, Eriol, I did know…but I couldn't stop the amount that flowed out of me. Once it was tapped into, I couldn't close it up again." She explained sadly. "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble, Eriol."

"You idiot, what are you apologizing for?" Eriol murmured quietly, stroking her cheek. Tomoyo smiled, deciding she would tease him a little bit.

"You're right; you're the one who should apologize." Tomoyo said in a sing-song voice.

"Huh?" Eriol tilted his head in confusion…had he done something wrong?

"I am Tomoyo Daidouji, and I will never forget the 'tough love' speech that left your parted lips." Eriol gulped visibly. "Just what were you thinking? Questioning my love for you? GAH!" Tomoyo threw her arms in the air.

Eriol's shoulders slumped, his eyes widened in disbelief, and his glasses hung at the tip of his nose.

"Kidding!" Tomoyo giggled uncontrollably at his blank expression.

Eriol gathered himself together and tackled Tomoyo's giggling body. They hit the soft cushioning of the sand beneath them. Eriol looked down on her with a sly smile, causing her to blush many shades of red. It was then he captured her lips in a wholesome kiss that left her tingling. Just by his one kiss, her memories about him were pulled to the surface.

**Their first meeting:**

"_I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to run into you."_

"_Don't worry about it, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I knocked you down, after all."_

"_Thank you so much for helping me…?" Tomoyo trailed off._

"_Eriol, you can call me Eriol." He supplied._

_Tomoyo smiled and repeated his name to herself. "Well, you can call me Tomoyo."_

**Their first meaningful talk:**

"_My friends and I have always had problems putting our trust in others. We fear that if we put our hearts on the line, we would receive nothing in return." Tomoyo's eyes suddenly found the ground so interesting._

_Eriol pondered over his answer before he replied, "If you never take that risk, then life would not be as fulfilling. You would always spend your life wondering what could have been, and what life would that be?"_

_Amethyst eyes widened as her glance shot back up to Eriol. She couldn't deny she was grateful for his advice._

_Eriol held his breath as Tomoyo embraced him, showing her gratitude. Her arms wrapped around his torso, clasping at his back while she snuggled into his chest resting her ear upon his heart to listen to the soft beats, relaxing against him. She leaned up on her tip toes to whisper into his ear. The feel of her light puffs of breath as she spoke into his ear sent Eriol into a nervous frenzy._

_Tomoyo licked her lips before whispering, "Thank you, Eriol. You have no idea how much that meant to me." She lightly pecked him on the cheek and began her slow walk home._

_Eriol's hand came up to touch where her lips made contact with his skin, and a dreamy smile graced his features. He jogged to catch up to Tomoyo and took her hand in his as they continued their walk. Tomoyo blushed from this action, but did not pull away._

**Their first meeting as soul mates:**

"_I confided in you my greatest fear, and you helped me realize my fears were unfounded. I'm a fool for running for so long. I'm so sorry for making you chase after me for so long, Eriol." Tears were running down Tomoyo's cheeks as she said this._

"_What do you mean? I haven't been chasing you for more than a day." Eriol chuckled, but when Tomoyo didn't join him in laughter he looked to her in concern._

"_No, you've been hunting me for two years, Wind." Tomoyo called forth her element of water, her eyes transformed into a shimmering blue, revealing herself to Eriol._

"_What?! But how? Tomoyo, you're Water?!" Eriol was feeling so many emotions in that moment._

"_I must repulse you now. I was so selfish, Eriol." Eriol hushed her, rubbing small circles on her back to soothe her nerves._

"_You could never repulse me, Tomoyo." Eriol reassured her. "I have you now, Tomoyo. As long as you promise not to disappear, waiting is no challenge for me." Tomoyo hiccupped and gave him a watery smile, lifting her pinky finger in the air._

"_I promise." Eriol linked pinkies with her and leaned forward to plant a soft kiss to her forehead._

**Their first admission to having a relationship:**

"_What are you laughing at?" Tomoyo yawned, rolling flat on her back with her arm draped across her eyes._

"_Nothing at all, darling." Eriol hid a Cheshire cat smile._

"_Mmhmm, why don't I believe you?" Tomoyo asked suspiciously._

_As an after thought, Tomoyo lifted her arm enough to peak at him and questioned, "Since when are pet names allowed in our quirky relationship?"_

"_Ah, so you admit we have a relationship." Eriol countered meticulously._

"_Well I should hope so." Tomoyo sat up. "Otherwise, I'd have to question what the Hell you're doing in my bed." Eriol sat up as well._

_He placed a finger to his chin, and pretended to be in deep thought. "Hmm…good question…Oh, wait! It's because you practically dragged me into your bed, away from a perfectly good futon, because you needed a full-sized teddy bear to snuggle in your sleep." Eriol folded his arms, sitting Indian style, with his eyes closed, nodding his head at his analysis._

_Tomoyo rolled her eyes and slapped him with her pillow, causing Eriol to fall off the bed. He got to his knees and rested his elbows on the mattress, staring at Tomoyo in bewilderment._

"_Did you just hit me…with a pillow?" Eriol asked, thinking it was the most ridiculous thing in the world._

"_Well, my 'full-sized teddy bear' just wouldn't shut it." Tomoyo answered innocently, batting her eyelashes._

**Their first love confession:**

_Eriol lifted the unconscious Tomoyo from the floor and held her in his shaking arms._

'_If Syaoran and Ryo didn't get through to Sakura and Meiling…I would have lost you.' Eriol thought to himself._

"_You can't…get rid of me that…easily." Tomoyo whispered in choked words. She was in tears, looking into Eriol's magnificent blue eyes._

"_But…how? How did you know what I was thinking?" Eriol asked perplexed._

_Tomoyo smiled up to him, "I love you too, Eriol."_

_Eriol was about to interrupt, but Tomoyo shushed him by pressing two fingers to his lips._

"_Before I was knocked out, I saw an emotion in your eyes…one I've never seen directed at me before. You were worried and scared, but you mostly feared that you would never be able to tell me your true feelings." Tomoyo caressed his cheek. "Love was in your eyes, Eriol. The kind of look you would give your lover."_

"_I do love you, Tomoyo, with all my heart." Eriol stared deeply into her tearful amethyst eyes._

Tears formed in her eyes as the memories faded. Eriol brushed her tears away, an understanding smile on his lips. '_I saw it too, love._'

"We've known each other…for such a short time. But I don't think I could live if I didn't have you in my life, Eriol." Tomoyo choked on the overwhelming emotions springing from her heart.

"Believe me, Tomoyo, the feeling is definitely mutual." Eriol smirked remembering a little trick he planned to use later…well, later was now.

Tomoyo felt Eriol caress her aura, and she released a low moan. He stroked her aura, twisting the coils of their bond. Tomoyo cried out in ecstasy, her stomach knotting together pleasurably. Eriol prided his sneakiness.

She panted deeply, staring into his midnight blue eyes. "What did you do?"

"I'm using our bond to its full potential." Eriol chuckled huskily. His chuckles soon turned to guttural moans as Tomoyo nibbled his earlobe. That was a very sensitive spot on his body.

"Hmm, it would seem that there are other ways to bring out full potential, no?" Tomoyo whispered seductively in his sensitized ear. Eriol shivered in excitement.

He kissed anything and everything his lips could touch on her face, trailing down to her collarbone. When he came across an article of clothing, he growled in annoyance.

Tomoyo giggled at his frustration and removed the dress. Eriol swiftly removed all articles of clothing on his person, still holding his position above Tomoyo in the sand. They laced their fingers together, above Tomoyo's head, as they made love.

By the time they'd finished, the sun was rising along the horizon. Eriol's back leaned against a boulder with Tomoyo tucked neatly into his chest, watching the sunrise.

'_As much as I enjoyed watching the sun rise with you the first time…somehow, I love it more this time around._' Tomoyo looked up into his face, smiling warmly.

'_I'd have to agree with you there, love._' Eriol returned her smile with one of his own.

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All three couples basked in the glow of their love-making. Now they were bonded for life. The perks of bonding held no importance to these couples. So long as they had each other, that's all they'd ever need.

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WHOO HOO!!! I hope you enjoyed this super long chappie! 17 PAGES!!!! It was mostly me wanting to give all of my readers an extra boost b/c I didn't update when I promised. BUT, I have a valid excuse:

Last weekend was a Naruto marathon (all 100 eps in 3 days!). I wasn't into Naruto until I started watching it that weekend….now, I'm hooked!

Any who, this was the last official chapter, but there will be an epilogue up at some point. I dare not say when, b/c I don't want to make any more promises I can't keep. Please find it in your hearts to review this chapter & let me know if I did ok! I luv you all…everyone who's stuck by me through the journey of Magical Bonds. I don't know when I'll start writing another story, or which anime I'll base it off of, but be sure to keep a look out for your oh so talented author:

lil-lilac86

Epilogue:

…hehehe…I'll never tell….


	17. Chapter 17: Epilogue

Magical Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to CLAMP, but the plot is mine!!!

A/n: Sorry for the extreme delay, but the epilogue is now up!!! ENJOY!!!

**Epilogue:**

It had been several months since the three couples joined to become magically bonded, and they couldn't be happier together. They all agreed that the Li Estate would be their permanent home, but Syaoran was somewhat reluctant to live there. When asked why, he shivered and said "My mom knows everything…she'll know when Sakura and I…well, y'know?" Everyone had laughed at his ridiculous worries. Unlike Syaoran, they knew Yelan would respect their privacy, as long as they gave her grandchildren.

Currently, the men were off sparring in the Clan's dojo while the ladies enjoyed the warm afternoon under a sakura tree near a crystal blue lake. They each shot nervous glances at each other, waiting for someone to break the silence.

"ARGH!!!" Meiling shouted in frustration, "This is stupid. We always were able to tell each other what was bothering us…so I'll start!! I'm pregnant."

A small gasp escaped Sakura and Tomoyo. Meiling started getting irritated by the uncomfortable silence and was about to yell some more, when Tomoyo and Sakura spoke together.

"Me too." Tomoyo and Sakura said in unison, exchanging surprised expressions, and Meiling just guffawed in laughter.

"So…this is what we haven't been able to tell each other?" Meiling tried to stifle her giggles. A smile slowly appeared on Tomoyo's lips, while Sakura tried to hide her blush.

"W-well, I wanted to tell Syaoran first, but I couldn't just keep this from you two." Sakura tried to explain.

"That goes double for me…but I do have an idea." Tomoyo smirked mischievously.

"Oohhh! 'Moyo's got that glint in her eye!" Meiling hugged her midsection excitedly.

"Spill, 'Moyo! What's the plan?!" Sakura's bubbly attitude returning.

"We just need to talk to Yelan. She'll set us up." Tomoyo giggled wickedly.

Meiling and Sakura caught on to what she was up to and joined in her wicked glee. Oh what the boys could look forward to.

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Eriol, Syaoran, and Ryo were in the middle of a major triple-threat match, elements at the ready, when the dojo screen swung open, revealing a stern-looking Yelan.

Syaoran made eye contact with his mother, and visibly paled. He knew that look…nothing good ever came from _that_ look.

"LET'S GET OUTTA HERE!!!" Syaoran was about to book it to the next country over, but his mother took hold of his ear, and Syaoran howled in pain.

Eriol and Ryo didn't have any time to react because Yelan was quick to capture them as well. She hooked Ryo under her arm and pushed Eriol forward using telekinesis (A/n: sounds familiar, neh?).

"No aunty! Please! We've been through this…I promise we'll give you grandchildren…just not the talk!!" Eriol begged in a whiny voice, digging his heels into the wooden floor.

"Y-yeah! Listen to him, ma'am! We already know how everything goes in that department…just be patient. HAVE MERCY!!!" Ryo bawled, he did not want to have another creepy sex talk with the infamous monotonous Yelan.

"QUIET!!!" Yelan bellowed angrily. Soon nothing was heard, other than the whimpering of three scared-shitless boys. "You will listen, and you will learn." Her voice was deadly and set evenly.

The three gulped in unison, before nodding their heads in defeat. Yelan dragged them into the back room of the dojo for a much needed talk.

"You promised me grandchildren." Yelan whispered dangerously.

"I know, but –"

"SILENCE!" Syaoran refrained from talking all together. "I've waited long enough, I don't know how many times my request must fall on deaf ears, you should – wait…you boys aren't homosexual, are you?" Yelan quirked an eyebrow in curiosity.

Eriol looked like he was going to blow up at any second; Ryo gagged, making choking noises; Syaoran's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "No, mother, we are not gay."

"Yes, I suppose that would make sense. After all, how else would the girls have gotten pregnant?" Yelan lifted a delicate finger to her lips.

Eriol, Ryo, and Syaoran's mouths hung open like gaping fish. "Dears, you should close your mouths. That really is rude." Yelan instructed irately.

"P-pregnant?" Ryo tried to wrap his head around it. "But how?"

"Well, it's simple. You see…" Yelan began.

"NO! Ryo are you stupid!!" Syaoran interrupted. "Did you really need to be briefed on where babies come from? Idiot."

"Thank you, my dear little cousin…" Eriol restrained himself from laughing all out when he heard Syaoran rise to his bait. "…for sparing us a horrible fate."

"I swear, Hiiragizawa! One of these days I'm gonna beat you into the dirt, and Sakura won't dig you up!" Syaoran threatened, waving his fist in the air at Eriol.

Unfortunately, Ryo was still frozen, and Yelan was feeling a migraine coming on from the boys incessant quarrels.

"END THIS PETTY ARGUMENT, NOW!" Yelan unleashed her fury, effectively silencing the group. "Ahem, ladies, the rest I leave up to you." With that, Yelan exited the room, allowing Tomoyo, Sakura, and Meiling to enter.

"Thank you for your help!" Sakura chirped happily. Yelan simply nodded, locking the door behind her.

"ACK! She locked us in again…" Syaoran mumbled.

For a while, nobody spoke. Meiling shot a glance at each of the boys, but when her gaze landed on her bonded, she sighed in annoyance. Ryo still sat frozen, not comprehending anything around him. Silently, Meiling waltzed over to him and slapped him _hard_ across his face, sending Ryo flying into the wall. When he sat up, he looked slightly confused.

"What? What happened? What did I miss?" Ryo spouted off question after question. Meiling's shoulders slumped.

"Does the word 'pregnant' ring a bell?" Ryo was about to say that a lot of bells were ringing at the moment, but he knew now was not the time.

"Why couldn't you just tell us the normal way? That was just pure evil y'know!" Syaoran declared shakily.

Sakura giggled, "Well, this was all 'Moyo's plan."

Eriol's midnight blue eyes immediately glued on Tomoyo's smirking form. '_Was this truly necessary, love? You gave me the scare of my life bringing Aunt Yelan into this._'

Tomoyo just winked. '_I gotta admit, I like to see ya sweat._'

"You can't say we weren't original." Meiling explained, "What did you expect? Us crying to you over a candlelit dinner? C'mon guys, you hafta know us better by now. We're sneaky little minxes." She laughed at their embarrassment.

"Yeah, but you used our one real fear against us…that's just playing dirty." Ryo crawled over to Meiling. When he started lifting her shirt up, Meiling blushed heavily.

"What do you think you're doing?!" She gritted through clenched teeth.

Ryo ignored her question, and placed his ear against her barely rounded abdomen. '_Hush, I'm trying to listen for the baby…maybe sense his aura._' Ryo closed his eyes.

'_And how do you know it'll be a boy, hmm?_' Meiling questioned mockingly.

'_I don't…but calling our baby 'it' isn't very parental of us._' Ryo smirked up at her.

Noticing what Ryo was doing, Eriol and Syaoran crawled over to their bonded to do the same. Sakura squeaked in surprise, and Tomoyo smiled gently at the top of her bonded's head.

'_And what do you feel?_' Tomoyo stroked Eriol's hair softly.

'_I feel a part of me in there…how could I not have noticed this?_' Eriol looked up into her eyes in wonder.

'_Because the aura is faint. You wouldn't have known it was there until a few more weeks down the line._' Tomoyo spoke through their connection contently.

Eriol placed a kiss to Tomoyo's slightly swollen abdomen, hugging her to his body.

Meanwhile, Sakura was trying to deal with an over eager Syaoran. "Syaoran, calm down."

"Can't Sakura! I'm gonna be a daddy!" Syaoran pulled her into another embrace.

Soon, Syaoran crushed his lips to Sakura's in his elation. Sakura blushed prettily from his attentions.

When the room quieted, Tomoyo's voice broke the silence. "I wonder who their soul mates will be."

Eriol clutched her hand close to his heart. "If we have a girl, no boy will come near her." He'd already taken on the role of the overprotective father. Syaoran and Ryo voiced their agreements, and the girls just rolled their eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous, Eriol, you can't hide her away forever." Tomoyo chided.

"No, I can't…but she can't run away forever either." Eriol countered meaningfully.

Tomoyo slapped his arm playfully, ignoring his comment.

"Well, mother always wanted grandchildren…" Syaoran trailed off, as a bout of laughter filled the small room in which the quirky group of friends, who became more like family, relaxed in the bliss that is life.

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THE END! Hope you enjoyed the slightly humorous ending! Sorry for the long awaited update…but I don't have a good excuse on hand rubs neck nervously

I want to thank all my reviewers for sticking by me throughout this story! You guys are the best! And to answer all your questions…NO there will NOT be a sequel. I just wanted to end this story on a happy note, and what's happier than hearing news that a baby is on the way?!

I'm sorry if this Epilogue wasn't up to your standards…this was my very first EVA epilogue….my story, I do what I want…

As a parting gift for me, final reviews are ALWAYS welcome!!

MUAH! Good bye for now!

lil-lilac86


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